


Rising Robin

by ReemasB



Series: Rising Robin [1]
Category: Batman and Robin (Comics), Robin (Comics), Teen Titans (Animated Series), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Bat Family, Crime Fighting, Crime Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Detective Comics, Drama, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Metahumans, Organized Crime, Psychic Abilities, Psychological Torture, Psychological Trauma, Superheroes, Teen Angst, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-12
Updated: 2016-10-17
Packaged: 2018-08-22 00:06:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 43
Words: 144,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8265406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReemasB/pseuds/ReemasB
Summary: Dick Grayson was the Boy Wonder & a Flying Grayson. But things change. They ALWAYS change. After 8 years, Dick becomes an entirely different person in the mind & soul as he returns to Gotham to figure out who he is & who he wants to be. While he adjusts, he finds himself making a hard decision about whether or not to rise as a guardian angel of Gotham.





	1. Bird vs. Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson fights for his life in a cage match with a formidable foe.

The following chapter contains an intensely gruesome fight scene. Viewer discretion is advised.

 

Dick Grayson emerged from the shadows and walked towards the cage. He looked straight ahead as he heard the audience booing from all directions. "Dick Grayson sucks!" they chanted. "Dick is a dick!" "Down with Dick!" "Spill Grayson blood!"

Dick rolled his eyes. They were just betting on the opponent to win the night's fight.

Ahead of Dick was a large man standing in the cage. He was shirtless and wore military cargo pants. He had a large tattoo imprinted on his chest. It resembled a skeletal dragon of some sort. There was Arabic script tattooed around his wrists. His face was square shaped, and had a chiseled chin, but couldn't have looked older than 30. The man's eyes were dark, as if he had no soul.

Dick continued walking to the cage. Once he reached it, he climbed inside and closed the door behind him. He reached around the door to wrap the chain around the door and locked it. As Dick turned around to face his opponent, there was a slight murmur in the crowd. "The kid's sealing himself into his own death." "Let's watch the circus boy burn, just like his parents."

Dick formed tight fists with his palms. He eyed his opponent, making sure he didn't make a move when Dick wasn't looking. These guys were known to fight dirty.

"On one side of the Cage of Chaos," announced a man over a microphone, "straight from the Middle East is the fearless Ali Makarov!" Ali threw his arms up as the crowd cheered at the sound of his name.

"On the other side," the announcer started in a lower tone, "the only survivor of the Haly Circus Fire, the orphan acrobat, Dick Grayson!"

The audience booed against Dick. Dick shrugged it off. He got into a fighting position, fists up over his face, knees bent slightly. He was ready.

"Let's have a good show, boys," the announcer said before ringing the bell. "A good fight to the death!"

Suddenly, the bell chimed.

Makarov lunged towards Dick in an instant moment. Dick dodged to the right, sending Makarov flying to the cage wall. Makarov regained his balance and turned back to Dick. He snarled like a ferocious lion. Dick turned to face him.

Makarov made another lunge at Dick. Dick countered Makarov's fist, followed by a kick up to his lower abdomen. Makarov slightly flinched, but didn't seem hurt. He swung his entire right palm against Dick's head, slapping him. Dick went flying to the side of the cage. His head began to pound as if he had filled his head with concrete. He stood up slowly, attempting to regain his balance.

Before he got a chance to react, Makarov slammed his entire body into Dick, sending him against the cage. Dick's body was crushed against the force of Makarov. Dick screamed in agonizing pain. Makarov roared in laughter.

Suddenly, Makarov head butted Dick. Dick dropped to the floor like a rag-doll. Makarov began gloating in triumph. He threw his fists up and the crowd began cheering his name. "Makarov! Makarov! Makarov!" He began speaking to himself in Arabic, perhaps monologuing about how strong and fierce he was.

Dick mentally laughed. He was always a good performer.

Dick, still seen as a limp body on the ground, began shifting slightly towards Makarov. He moved so slowly, it was practically unnoticeable. He managed to move close enough where he could reach Makarov if he took one step closer to Dick.

Makarov laughed and cheered with the crowd still. He kept speaking Arabic, as if people actually understood Arabic in Gotham. Dick noticed he had excessive veins pulsing down his back. Perhaps he was a steroid user.

Finally, Makarov took a step closer.

Dick swiftly grabbed both of Makarov's ankles with both of his hands and swung his entire body around Makarov, then threw his legs up around his neck. Dick used all of his body force to throw Makarov down to the floor from his neck, slamming his spine against the ground. Dick punched Makarov's groin once, then swung around to face his opponent. He began throwing fists at Makarov, causing cuts and bruises to turn to blood and bone. Dick let out all of his strength, all of his rage, all of his pain. He focused it all onto his fists slamming into the Arab. Dick was throwing so many punches that he began to lose control. Dick threw one punch that caused Makarov's nose to crack, breaking the bone. Dick threw another that caused another crack in his jaw, causing teeth to fly out of his mouth.

Dick clenched his fists together to contain himself. He let out a loud scream and gouged his thumbs into Makarov's eyes. Blood poured from his eye sockets, onto Dick's hands. Dick drove his thumbs deep into Makarov's skull, until he felt bone. Then Dick ripped his hands out of his opponent's head and stood up. He turned to face the crowd around him. They were all silent, a few hushed voices whispering to one another. "Holy shit, did you see that?" "Dick is fucking crazy." "He gauged his fucking eyes out, man."

Dick ran a frustrated hand through his long, sweaty hair. It smeared blood across his forehead.

"And the winner is...Dick Grayson!"

The crowd began booing, calling out insults about Dick. "He's a cheat!" "All he does is play dead, just like his parents!" "Ali let him win!"

Dick listened and smirked as he watched someone unlock the cage door. He knew each and every one of these guys watching him had lost a bet tonight because of him.


	2. Hell is Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick Grayson is driven out of his hellish home sooner than expected, & the Devil will not go down without a fight.

Dick opened the office door & switched on the light. The light flickered, but nonetheless illuminated the room. The room he entered used to be a security guard's office before the subways were abandoned. It had a few file cabinets around the wall. There was a desk with a rusty metal chair on wheels behind it. On the desk was a computer system. It had already been smashed in. There was a blood stain on the desk. Dick didn't know whose blood it was.

This was where he lived.

Dick walked behind the desk & sat at the chair. He raised his feet up on the desk & laid back. He looked up at the clock that hung on the wall over the door. It was 10 minutes before midnight. Rodrick should've dropped off the winnings from the fight already.

Dick pulled open a drawer from the desk & pulled out the bundled up cash he had been saving for the past year from the fights. He knew how much he had. He had counted the money more times than he could remember. It was probably enough. But this last fight's earnings would guarantee him a ticket out of the subways. It was the quickest way out of there.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Dick looked up to find a tall, skinny boy leaning up against the door frame. He looked a few years older than Dick. Everyone here was a boy. Some were really young, & some were older. Some seemed like they had been here all their lives, fighting, training, eating the corpses of kids who just couldn't cut the hard life.

The boy standing at the door was bald with a few tattoos down his neck and forearms. He wore a torn muscle shirt & some faded cargo jeans. He was chewing something again. He was always chewing something. Dick never had the balls to ask what the hell he found that was so damn chewy down here.

"You're late, Rodrick," Dick said.

Rodrick smirked. "I'm usually early."

Dick shrugged. "Change is unsettling."

Rodrick nodded, reaching for something behind him. "Damn straight," he said. He pulled out a wad of cash from the waistband of his shorts & tossed it at Dick. Dick caught the cash & began counting it.

"It took longer to collect the winnings," Rodrick explained. "Everyone had their money on the Arab dude, so you can imagine how many of those scumbags tried to hide & bullshit their way out of paying."

Dick nodded, still counting the money.

Rodrick crossed his arms and began tapping his fingers against his forearms. Dick could feel Rodrick's stare burning into the top of his skull. It was a lot of money Rodrick had tossed Dick.

"Guess how many people betted on you, Dick."

Dick continued counting the money.

"I'll give you a hint: you knocked out more teeth than that."

Dick nodded, still counting the money. Rodrick cleared his throat. Dick knew he was stalling. He was waiting to say something. Or do something.

"I've never seen you fight like that before," Rodrick said in a quieter voice.

Dick stopped counting the cash for a moment. He then continued counting again. "You haven't seen all of my fights."

Rodrick sat up from the door frame & walked up to the desk, arms still crossed. His tattoos flexed with his lean muscles. "Well, you haven't exactly been in enough cage matches for me to see a whole lot."

Dick laughed, still counting. "Do you think I want to be in those cages?"

"I don't know, tonight it almost seemed like you enjoyed gauging the eyes out of that son of a bitch!" Rodrick cried. He caught himself and closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. He looked straight at Dick. Dick wouldn't look up. "I don't want you to turn into a cold blooded killer like the rest of these guys."

Dick set the money down. He stood up from his chair. "Rodrick, these fights are all we have. Without them, nobody stands a chance down in these subways."

Rodrick nodded. "Yeah, I get that, but that's why we set up two fight divisions. The Amateur League was set up for the younger and smaller guys to fight & get money too!"

"Yeah, but the Pro League earnings are so much more than the Amateur League."

"Dick, they put killers in those cages. I've seen mercenaries snap people's necks. I once saw a ninja kill a guy quicker than you could say 'holy shit'." Rodrick stepped closer, speaking in a more hushed voice. "And I know you've heard about the crocodile monster that they tried to stick in the cage."

Dick shook his head & sat back down. He continued to count the money. "Like I said, I'm in it for the quick cash."

Rodrick rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. He seemed to be frustrated. "Dick, you & I both know this is more about the cash. You're looking for some sort of redemption, & you think by making yourself a legend down here you'll come to peace with yourself. But all this blood you’re spilling, all this pain you put yourself through, it's not worth it. You're better than these assholes. Don't stoop to their level."

Dick stopped counting & looked up at Rodrick. "I'm sorry, 'redemption'?" Dick asked. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Rodrick shrugged. "I dunno, that's the bullshit I've been hearing from people. They think it's something to do with your parents."

Dick shook his head. "Nobody down here knows a thing about me. So don't think for a moment you can rely on their lies to get through to me."

Rodrick nodded. "Dick, I care about you. I'm worried about you. This silent warrior act isn't good. It puts up a wall around yourself, leaving you without friends. And trust me, down here, you can't afford to not have friends."

"Down here, you can't afford to let these psychos too close to you," Dick shot out.

Rodrick sighed. "Dick, all you have are enemies."

Dick finally finished counting the cash. He set the money aside and looked up at Rodrick. "And?"

"You need a friend," Rodrick said. "You need me. I'm the best there is for you."

"All you are is the guy is gives me the cash from my matches," Dick responded harshly.

"I'm the guy who would warn you if these maniacs were about to riot up here to try to kill you," Rodrick shot back.

Dick raised an eyebrow. He shook his head. "Now you just sound crazy." Dick pulled open the drawer of the desk & grabbed the remaining money he had saved. He stuck that & the money he had just counted into an envelope & stuck it in the back pocket of his pants. He stood up. He saw Rodrick's eyes light up as he had pulled out the money.

"How much money was in tonight's earnings?" Rodrick asked.

Dick smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Rodrick shook his head. "No, really. How much?"

"If I told you, I'm sure you'd go nuts & try to take my money," Dick said.

From outside of the office room, Dick could hear echoes of shouts. They were getting closer.

Dick shoved past Rodrick & stuck his head through the door. He could see a large group of guys walking up the stairs of the subway lobby. They were all shouting, as if protesting.

Dick turned back to Rodrick. "What did you say about a riot?" he asked.

Rodrick put his hands up defensively. "Bro, I'm sorry, I didn't want to, but Nolan told me to keep you up here long enough so they could make their way here."

Dick eyes narrowed at Rodrick. "Really? You'd fuck me over for them? For Nolan?" Dick ran back to the desk & grabbed the nightstick he kept taped under the desk. He knew he'd use it someday.

"Nolan threatened me, man!" Rodrick cried.

Dick walked up to Rodrick & kicked his leg, dislocating his kneecap. Dick swung the nightstick over Rodrick's head & slammed on it hard. Dick looked down at Rodrick. "And to think I almost believed that bullshit about you looking out for me."

Dick kneeled down & went to the doorway. He peeked behind the door to see where the group was. At the top of the stairs he could see Nolan standing over the crowd. He wore a long dark trenchcoat & black fingerless gloves. His hair was jet black & combed over to one side, creating a lopsided pompadour. He was leading the riot.

Dick's hand curled into a tight fist. When he introduced himself as the leader of the men of the subways, Dick knew he was a fucked up guy. Even when he would portray himself as a genuinely nice, sincere and caring guy looking out for the group. He was the Devil, & these were his minions.

Dick took a deep breath and made his way across the lobby kneeling. He stopped at some metal benches that gave him cover. He stayed there for a moment to work out where he'd go next.

Nolan's voice was booming across the large lobby. Dick couldn't help but listen to what he had to say.

"Gentlemen, we can NOT let Dick Grayson get away with his crimes against our community! He hasn't paid our taxes, he hasn't divided up his rations evenly, & he's been fighting his cage matches unfairly!" The crowd beneath Nolan roared at each crime that Nolan listed. "Justice will be served! Dick Grayson will do his time!"

Dick rolled his eyes. All that he said wasn't true. Dick paid his taxes that Nolan & his goons collected every month to spend on the silly little black market they set up on the other side of the subways. Dick paid for his rations fair & square, which wasn't required to be divided if he had paid for it on his one. And Dick sure as hell didn't fight unfairly. He could've killed his opponents if he wanted to.

Dick gripped his nightstick tightly & continued moving. He crawled slowly down the bench. He looked across the lobby to find another set of stairs that led up to a subway tunnel. He could probably make his way there & find an exit. Dick felt the thick envelope tucked in his back pocket. He knew he had enough to go somewhere & start a new life.

Dick glanced back at Nolan & his followers. They were all focused on Nolan. Nolan's back was still turned to Dick. He might just have a chance at escaping.

Dick took 5 steps from the bench when someone shouted "HE'S GETTING AWAY!"

Dick didn't take time to think about it. He stood up & ran. He ran faster than he ever thought he could. He ran up the stairs & around the right corner, down the dark subway tunnel. He continued running, nightstick in hand. He felt the envelope in his back pocket & tried to adjust it so it wouldn't fall out. He lost focus of where he was in the dark.

Dick took one step too close to the left, tripped, then fell down onto the railings.

Dick wasn't too hurt. He felt worse pain earlier. He stood up, ignoring the pain from his ribs. They might have been broken.

Suddenly Dick felt a strong grip on his collar. The hand yanked Dick around to face him. It was dark, so Dick couldn't see who he was. All Dick could tell was that he was tall & large. Dick saw more people standing behind him. Some of them were up above him, & some had went down onto the railings.

Dick was blinded by a light. He squinted his eyes to try to see. Then someone lit another light. Then another. Soon there was tons of lights all shining everywhere, lighting up the tunnel. One was held by Nolan himself.

Nolan walked to the guy holding Dick. He laid a hand on his shoulder. "Alright Sebastian, well done," he said. "I'll take it from here."

The brute stood aside as Nolan stepped up to Dick. Nolan reached inside of his trench coat & pulled out a gun from a holster on his belt. He pointed it at Dick. The corner of Nolan's mouth rose to a grin.

Dick began to breath heavily. "Nolan," he started.

Nolan's grin rose even more menacingly. "Dick," he responded.

Dick shook his head. "You don't want to do this."

"No, I don't," Nolan said. He turned to his followers behind him. "But you've committed several crimes, & our people seem to find you guilty!" he shouted, raising his hands up to the audience. He quickly turned back to Dick & pointed the gun at him. "So yeah. I have to do this."

Dick tightened his grip on his nightstick. He slowly moved it behind his back, hoping no one noticed it yet. "You think you're doing a service to these kids when in reality all you are is a psychopath."

Nolan's eyebrow rose. "If I'm a psychopath, why was I chosen to be their leader?"

Dick's eyes widened. "They didn't! They were all homeless & alone down here, all scavenging for their next meal when you came around with your goons & money you stole from Cobblepot & turned this place from a refuge to something sick!"

"Someone had to take control!" Nolan roared. "If I hadn't come around & built this city up, everyone here would be starving still!"

"Most still starve," Dick said. "You didn't come here & built a city. You created a hell!"

"Hell is all we have!" Nolan cried. "Hell is all we are! Hell is home."

Dick shook his head. His voice dropped. "No it isn't," he said softly. "I'm taking my earnings & I'm going topside to start fresh. I'm tired of living like a barbaric rat under the rule of your dictatorship. I'm leaving this hellhole." Dick looked up at the crowd. "If anyone feels the same, they're welcome to come along with me!" Dick addressed the crowd.

"If anyone feels the same," Nolan started, "they're going to get a bullet in their head. They'll be guilty for rebelling & will be sentenced to death by my trigger." Nolan cocked the gun & took a step closer to Dick. "And then I'll put a bullet in you."

Dick stayed silent. He knew this part. Nolan was now in control of the situation. Nolan would win his followers over through intimidation & fear. He would taunt Dick, look as if he's ready to kill him. He would get very close to Nolan. Dick could attack then, assuming no one else had a gun pointed at Dick in the shadows.

Unless Nolan didn't want to try to kill him. Perhaps he had other plans for Dick.

Nolan took a step forward. Then another. He got close enough where the barrel of the gun was pointed against Dick's chest. His ribs still hurt. Dick tried not to flinch. He didn't want to show he was injured. Or look as if he was afraid.

Nolan kept the gun on Dick & turned back, addressing the crowd once more. "I, Nolan Drake, speak on behalf of the people of Old Gotham's underground! I stand before Dick Grayson, who the people have found guilty of tax resistance, overstocking of rations, & foul combat in the Cage of Chaos on numerous occasions!" The crowd began to get rowdy. "Dick Grayson here has earned tons of money winning fights he should have been disqualified from. His earnings are not rightfully his & must be returned to each individual who lost money to Dick Grayson."

Dick smirked. "The cash is mine, Nolan. A fight's a fight. I earned it fair & square."

Nolan turned back to Dick. "Fair & square?" he turned back to the audience, devilish grin on his face. He turned back to Dick. "Since that's how you earn cash around here, how about I fight you for it?" The crowd began to murmur. "I win, I distribute the money amongst the people."

Dick scoffed. "Right, & if I kick your ass, I'm taking my 100,000 & hauling my ass out of here."

Nolan nodded. He set his gun down onto the floor & kicked it to the side. "Since you claim to fight 'fair & square', let's treat this as a cage match & set your nightstick that you've been holding behind your back on the ground."

Dick cursed under his breath. He set the nightstick down and pushed it to his right. He stood back up & got into his fighting position.

Nolan shrugged his trench coat off and tossed it to a nearby goon. He wore a black t-shirt with a chain around his neck. It had some sort of pendant on it. Dick noticed the military combat boots Nolan was wearing. They looked brutal to be kicked with.

"On one side," one boy called from above the subway rails, "the leader of Old Gotham's underground, the great & fearless Nolan Drake!"

Nolan's followers began cheering and chanting his name. Nolan simply stared into Dick's soul.

"On the other side, the cowardly boy running from home, the orphaned Dick Grayson!"

The audience began booing at Dick's name once more, just like during the earlier cage fight. Dick had no idea what sort of fighter Nolan was. He didn't believe for a second it would be any more "fair" than the fights Dick had fought before.

Suddenly, Dick heard a boy yell "DING DING DING!"

Dick reacted instantly. He ran up to Nolan & swung his leg back, creating a roundhouse kick. He kicked Nolan's face, stunning Nolan momentarily. As Nolan took a few steps back to regain his stance, Dick threw punches at Nolan. Dick didn't give Nolan a chance to attack or counter.

Dick threw one last punch at Nolan's face. Nolan's reflexes were lightning fast at this moment. He caught Dick's fist with one hand. Dick countered by throwing another punch at his face with his free hand. Nolan caught that fist too. Nolan rose his leg & kicked Dick's torso, sending Dick flying back. Dick tripped & fell onto the ground next to his nightstick.

Dick turned and reached for it, but in that moment Dick heard a click.

Dick shut his eyes and silently cursed to himself. This was not the end. It couldn't be the end. Dick could make it out.

Dick slowly turned to face his opponent. Nolan stood above him from afar, gun pointed at Dick. He had on his evil grin. "So we both had the same idea," he said calmly.

Dick slowly pulled the nightstick to his body. He wasn't going to let this stop him. He had come this far.

Nolan kept the gun pointed at Dick. Clearly he was trying to create tension between him & Dick, possibly making a show for his followers. He wanted to seem more ruthless to sustain his image. Or he really wanted to kill Dick.

Suddenly a clanging sound echoed through the tunnels, as if someone had dropped a metal ball.

Dick looked back behind Nolan. Nolan turned to see what had happened.

Someone shouted "GRENADE!"

The next moment went dark for Dick.

 

When Dick opened his eyes, he was momentarily blind. His vision was blurry & impaired. Dick's sense of hearing had been muffled. Dick struggled to stand up. He stood up for a brief moment & crumbled back onto the ground, still weak from the blast. Dick laid there for a few moments, trying to regain his strength. For a second, he thought he felt something touch his back. He was too weak to look.

Finally, Dick felt ready to move again. Dick rose back onto his feet. He had a slight limp, but managed to stand on his two feet.

People had dispersed all around the tunnels. Some were laying injured near where the grenade went off. Those closer weren't so lucky.

Some had ran amuck through the tunnels. Dick watched as people ran lost & hopelessly. He couldn't spot where Nolan had went off to.

Dick turned and spotted not the coward leader, but the backstabbing liar. Rodrick was running down the tunnels carrying Dick's money envelope.

"Rodrick!" Dick called out in anger. He ran after Rodrick, nightstick in hand. Dick's leg still hurt like hell as he ran. He didn't focus on his pain, however. He was focused on the money.

Dick ran & followed Rodrick through a doorway that led to a flight of stairs. Rodrick was in arm's reach of Dick when Dick tripped on one step. Dick regained his footing again, but Rodrick was a few feet farther now.

Rodrick emerged onto the streets above, followed by Dick. Dick chased after Rodrick down the sidewalk. The streets were crowded at this time of night. City lights were shining bright, illuminating the thief in the night. Rodrick shoved past people. Dick had to do the same.

Rodrick ran onto the road, trying to cross the street without looking both ways. He was hit by a car before Dick managed to reach the road.

When Dick got there, he saw Rodrick laying limp on the ground in front of the car. The driver stepped out, hands on his head. The driver was panicking.

Dick acted instantly. He ran onto the street, eyes wide open. He covered his hands over his mouth, pulling off his best shocked face. "No, Rick!" he cried. He turned to the driver. "Why did you hit my brother?"

The driver began to stammer. He cried to formulate some sort of explanation. Dick wasn't paying attention. He turned back to the street goers that saw the accident. "Someone call 911!"

The driver turned and began to dial. Dick looked down at Rodrick. He saw the envelope in Rodrick's loose grip.

Dick kneeled down by Rodrick & bent down low. "Remember me," Dick whispered in his ear. "Remember the boy who escaped. Remember my name."

Dick snatched the money from Rodrick's lifeless hand & stuffed it in his back pocket. He walked right over Rodrick, disappearing into the streets of Gotham.


	3. Starting Over

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick returns to Gotham City, where he encounters someone who may help him get a fresh start for a new life.

Dick woke up when he began to sense the sunlight burn through his eyelids. He sat up on the park bench. He felt tired. His entire body was sore. Sleeping on a metal bench didn't help.

Dick sat up from the bench and began walking down the street. After the accident, Dick kept walking till he saw the park bench. He crashed there for the night, not hesitating to rest. He wasn't concerned about police questioning him. He wasn't even worried about Rodrick finding him. His biggest concern was Nolan & whatever goons he might've sent after Dick.

Dick walked across the street & made his way to a nearby bus stop. He stood casually, waiting for the next bus. He had no idea when it would come or where it would go. He just needed to get out of Gotham.

Dick glanced around him. Next to him stood an older man wearing a suit. His blonde hair was combed over to one side. He carried a briefcase. There was a bench where a rather beautiful woman in a brown leather jacket & skin tight jeans tucked in combat boots sat. Next to her was another man. His dark hair was short & curly. He wore a casual button up vest over a button up shirt & a tie. He wore thick framed glasses. He was carrying a messenger bag.

Dick slowly looked back at the man standing closest to him. He wore a watch on his wrist. Dick was able to read the time. It was 11:13 am.

Dick tapped his foot, waiting patiently for the bus. He wondered about what he'd do once he got to where he wanted. But where did he want to go? He didn't know what he wanted at this point. He made it out of the subways, escaping Nolan & his twisted world. He got his money. He could go anywhere, do anything, be anyone.

The question was who?

Dick had spent so much time creating a plan to get out from the undergrounds that he hadn't thought of what he'd do when he got out. He spent too much time in the dark like a rat. He needed to start thinking like a guy again.

He wondered when the last time he saw Cheyenne was. Dick missed her. He really needed to see a familiar face. The idea of her was comforting for Dick. It actually brought a smile to his face, something he never thought he'd do again.

Suddenly a bus had appeared in front of Dick. Dick blinked for a moment. He was lost in thought & hadn't seen the bus pull up.

The doors on the bus opened up. The man closest to Dick walked onto the bus. Dick stepped aside for the woman to step on. She smiled and nodded to him. Then Dick stepped onto the bus.

Dick knew he needed to pay to get on. He reached for his envelope to get the money. As he did this, he suddenly remembered something. He opened the envelope, confirming his thought: all he had were hundred dollar bills.

Dick silently cursed to himself. He had completely forgotten that he needed change from the money.

Dick looked up at the bus driver. He was a burly man with a large, scruffy beard. He didn't look like a reasonable man.

Suddenly Dick felt a hand on his shoulders. He looked up & saw the man in glasses step up. "I'm paying for him," he said.

Dick watched as the man dropped two dollars & some quarters into the money slot next to the bus driver. The man then walked down the aisle to take his seat.

Dick turned back to the driver. The driver gave a slight grin & gestured to the seats with his head.

Dick let out a sigh of relief & walked down the aisle. He saw that there was only one seat available. It was towards the middle of the bus, right next to the man with glasses.

Dick bit his lip. He hesitated to sit down. He considered standing up, but still walked over.

Dick slowly sat down next to the man. He patted his thighs casually, hoping the man wouldn't look at Dick. He looked straight ahead. Dick could feel the man's eyes burn into his skull like heat vision.

Dick slowly looked back to the man. The man had on a friendly smile.

Dick smiled back. "Thanks," he said softly.

The man nodded. "No problem," he said.

Dick faced front again. For some reason, Dick felt incredibly nervous next to the man. He didn't know what it was about him that unsettled him. So far, the man had been nice. Maybe it had been so long since Dick had met another decent human being.

"Hey," the man next to Dick said. "Is your leg alright?"

Dick turned to the man with a questioning look, then glanced down at his leg. It was the one that he injured in the blast. The limp had healed overnight. It wasn’t that bad. But his pant leg was still torn.

“I got mugged,” Dick lied. “Some big guys saw me alone, they attacked me, but I got away.”

The man nodded. “Did they go after that money you pulled out in front of the bus?” he asked.

Dick simply nodded. The man nodded too. “I don’t mean to pry, but how does a kid alone in Gotham manage to walk around with that much cash?”

Dick's palms grew sweaty. He turned back to the man. "Inheritance," Dick simply said.

The man nodded with a slight smile. "From your parents?" he asked.

"Aunt," Dick responded quickly.

"Oh," the man simply said. He stared down at his bag. He seemed nervous as well. Dick couldn't help but grin slightly.

Suddenly the man came up with another response. "Where are you headed?" he asked.

_ Dammit, _ Dick thought to himself. He had no idea where the bus was going. He needed to come up with a cover story.

"I, uh, was living with my aunt for a while," Dick started. "But now I can't live there anymore. So I called up an uncle of mine to let me visit for a bit and hopefully stay."

"Oh, you have family in Metropolis?" the man asked.

Dick had a mini heart attack. He was headed to Metropolis? "Yeah. Metropolis."

The man nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I live there," the man said. "I'm from Kansas but I moved to the city last year. I'm only here in Gotham because I needed to find a story to cover for the Daily Planet."

Dick nodded. "A journalist, nice," he said. "Did you get your story?"

The man shook his head. "Nothing came up. I'm going back without anything for my publisher."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Dick said softly. He genuinely felt bad for the guy. Dick wondered if he'd lose his job at the Planet. "I hope it all works out."

The man smiled. "Thank you," he said. "And I hope it works out with your uncle," he said.

Dick nodded back. He faced the front again, hoping that would be the end of the conversation. Not that he wasn't enjoying it. The man turned out to be really nice.

"I'm Clark," Dick heard the man say.

Dick turned to him & found the man holding his hand out. Dick looked at the hand & back at him and smiled. "John," he said, shaking his hand. 

Clark shook Dick's hand for a moment longer. "John," he repeated. Clark removed his hand & sat back. They sat there for a few brief moments. Then Clark spoke again. "The story I was hoping to cover," he started, "it's something of an urban legend. I don't know, maybe you might be able to at least give me some sort of background for me when I get to the Daily Planet."

Dick nodded. "Maybe. It depends on what it is."

"The story about Dick Grayson."

Dick's heart skipped a beat. He was feeling panicky again.  _ Get it together, _ Dick thought to himself.  _ Play it cool. You'll be alright. _

Dick simply nodded at what Clark had said.

"Have you heard about it?" Clark asked.

Dick raised an eyebrow. "About Dick Grayson? I don't know, I haven't heard much about that guy. People have mentioned him, but that's about it."

Clark nodded. "I heard he was part of a family circus. I forget the name. But during a show one night, someone had set the tent on fire. People died, including the boy's parents. Police suspected it was a murder. So they tried to investigate, but nothing came up. The case was closed & the boy was left an orphan." Clark turned to Dick. "I was hoping to locate the orphanage where Dick Grayson grew up. From there, I had the slightest hope that they might be able to tell me where I could find him."

Dick nodded slowly. He felt his fingers tingle with a nervous feeling. Dick forced himself to calm down. "What for?"

Clark let out a small chuckle. "To interview the boy," he said.

Dick's heart slowed down just a bit. He breathed easier. He grinned slightly. Then a question popped into Dick's head. "Wait, why did you say this was something of an urban legend?" Dick asked.

Clark's smile slowly faded away. He bit his lip, as if unsure how to phrase it. He managed to find the words. "When I found the orphanage, it was a dead end. Police officials had sent me to the right one, they were sure of it. But the orphanage claimed they never had Dick Grayson living there." Clark ran a ran through his curly hair. "It was like Dick Grayson was nothing but a myth."

Dick turned away. He fought to hide his emotions. He didn't want to show anything. He didn't want to feel anything. But he couldn't help but regret what he had done to Mother Louise. He wished things had ended differently.

"But it doesn't matter," Clark said, breaking through Dick's thought. "I don't have the story. My editor won't get anything."

Dick turned to Clark. "What will he do when you show up empty handed?"

Clark took a deep breath. "Well, I had actually proposed we send someone down here to get the story in the first place. He decided to send me because I came up with the idea. So it won't look good for me to not have any sort of story."

Dick nodded. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Clark. This man was the first person Dick had met in a very long time that didn't deserve to be punished for a mistake. He didn't find anything to write a story on. It was Dick's fault; he covered his tracks well. Now Clark was going home to his boss without a story. What if he lost his job? This man might not have anywhere to go. He might lose everything. Just like Dick lost everything.

But Dick was back up on his feet, ready to be in the world again. Now all Dick had to figure out was where in the world he would go. He hadn't come up with a plan that far out yet. He needed to figure out what he would do now that he had another chance to start over.

Maybe that was it. Maybe that's what he would start doing. He'd give people another chance. Starting with Clark.

Suddenly the bus stopped. It had pulled up to a transit center.

Dick turned to Clark as he stood up. "Alright," Clark started. "This is my stop. I'm riding another bus to Metropolis. This bus is gonna make some detours before arriving at the city." Clark held his hand out. "It was nice talking to you, John."

Dick shook Clark's hand, smiling. "You too, Clark."

Clark smiled a bright smile back. Clark removed his hand, swung his bag over his shoulder & walked down the aisle.

Dick watched as the man walked away from him. A few more steps, & Dick would never see that man again. And that man would never get a story to his boss. And he might lose his job. Then his home. Then everything else.

Dick shot up from his seat. "Wait up, Clark!" Dick called.


	4. Urban Legend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick sits with a Metropolitan reporter & tells the tragic tale of the last son of the Flying Graysons.

Dick watched as Clark pulled out his ring of keys & opened his apartment door. Clark stepped inside first, then gestured for Dick to come in.

Dick had chased after Clark once they got off the bus. Dick said he'd tag along with Clark, wanting a small tour of the city. Then once he'd get word from his "uncle" that he was ready for Dick, he'd leave. In the meantime, Dick offered to help out with Clark's story.

So Clark showed him around Metropolis on their bus ride. Clark eventually invited Dick up to his apartment for some lunch. Dick was hiding it well, but he was incredibly hungry. He didn't remember the last time he had a proper meal.

Dick stepped inside of Clark's apartment. The doorway led to the kitchen, which was big with an island to sit at & eat dinner on. Going past the kitchen was a living room with a few couches & a coffee table set up in front of a huge entertainment system. A flat screen TV with large speakers & a stereo. Over to the side was a desk, probably for Clark's work.

Clark took a seat at the island. "Come on, have a seat," he said with a smile. "Make yourself at home."

Dick nodded and slid onto a stool on the island. He gave a slight smile, still uneasy in being in the nice apartment.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Clark asked.

"Just water," Dick said softly. He was still trying to figure out how much money Clark made from his job to afford such a nice home.

Dick was so lost in thought that he almost didn't notice Clark set the glass of water out in front of him. Dick took a sip as Clark sat down. He suddenly had a notepad in his hand.

"Alright," Clark said. "I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to get this started. Tell me about Dick Grayson."

Dick took another sip, quickly trying to figure out how to do this. "Well, I don't know where to start," Dick said.

Clark tapped a pen by his notepad. "How about when you first met him?"

Dick nodded. He took a deep breath. "I was at the orphanage a little bit before him. I was 8 when my parents died. Not too long after that, he showed up. I knew who he was before he knew who I was. He was like a celebrity to me. But we had more in common than I realized." Dick took another sip. "He was sort of lonely growing up, having been a circus acrobat. He didn’t really make much friends his own age since he was always performing. His parents were all he really had. Mine were all I had too. He & I got along, me being a fan & all. He & I soon became great friends.

“He & I were friends at the orphanage together for maybe a year or two when someone new came along. A girl. She was a year younger than Dick & I, but just like every other orphan when first arriving, she was shy. Dick & I welcomed her to the orphanage the way most kids hadn’t. We made a good impression on her & she was thankful for us being so kind.”

Dick took a deep breathing, suddenly regretting ever having agreed to telling Clark any of this. He continued anyway. “We all grew closer. We got older. Things changed a little bit. Dick sort of began to grow feelings for this girl. I understood, she really was gorgeous. maybe a year later, someone had adopted her, leaving Dick & I back to where we had started: with just each other. I guess he really loved her, because not knowing where she was anymore kind of drove him a bit crazy, I guess. He stopped sleeping. He wouldn’t eat. He wouldn’t talk to me the same anymore. Sometimes he’d even disappear for a while, & no one had any clue where he went.

“I remember, one rainy night, I woke up to the sound of thunder and sat up from my bed. I saw Dick sitting on the floor against his bed. The moonlight from the window above his bed sort of cast a light over him. I could see a few pieces of paper laid out in front of him. One or two were some gruesome drawings. One seemed like a blueprint of some sort with markings of his own. He also had a list of what looked like names on another sheet of paper. On his lap, he was writing a letter.

“I remember seeing all of this & I got really scared. I guess I might’ve made a sound or something, because Dick suddenly looked up at me and waved his hand around. He told me to go back to sleep, & to forget I had seen anything. I asked why. He said not to worry. I was incredibly worried though. I was scared. I was afraid he’d do something to me, so I laid back in my bed & turned so my back faced him & shut my eyes tight.

“I woke up the next morning & found Dick gone. I expected to find the letter he wrote on the bed, but it wasn’t there. I had asked Mother Louise if she had seen Dick. She brought me into her office. When I walked in, I saw Dick sitting at a chair in front of her desk. He was crying. Hell, he was more than crying. He was breaking down. He had blood stains all over his shirt. He had some blood on his face too. It was dried up, like Dick was like that for a few hours.

“Mother Louise told me that she was only going to tell me this because I was the only close friend to Dick. She showed me a letter; the one Dick had written the night before. It had said something about Dick not returning because he was going to do something he should’ve done a long time ago. He confessed his love for our friend. He said he was sorry. Mother Louise explained that Dick had murdered a mob boss by the name of Tony Zucco. It turns out he was behind the circus fire that killed his parents. Dick went to exact revenge on the guy. It’s a miracle he didn’t die doing so.

“Mother Louise told me that Dick had showed up at the orphanage in the middle of the night after he had done it. Apparently he had asked to do a confession & begged for forgiveness. She brought him inside & had him sleep in her office until the next morning.”

Dick was about to continue when he heard the door behind him start to unlock. He turned to looked back. He watched as the doorknob rotated & the door swung open. A pretty red headed lady walked in with large grocery bags. She probably didn’t see Dick, because she began to stumble & tried to kick the door closed. “Clark!” she called.

Dick watched as Clark ran over to her aid. “Coming,” he said. He took her bags & set them on the kitchen counter.

“Ah, that’s better,” the woman started. She walked over to the office desk across the kitchen. “Okay, so I was thinking tonight I would cook Italian, a little pasta with Alfredo, some salads maybe.” She was beginning to set her purse down when she noticed Dick. “Oh,” she said softly. “Hi.”

Dick stood up & walked over to her. “Hi, I’m John,” Dick said, almost forgetting to not say Dick. He held his hand out.

The woman smiled softly and shook Dick’s hand back. “Lois Lane,” she said. Dick noticed her eyes glance over at Clark. Dick turned back to Clark & smiled, standing next to Lois.

Clark was putting up the groceries, oblivious that the two were staring at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever had Alfredo pasta,” he said when he finished. He turned around & saw Dick & Lois staring at him. He blinked. “What?” he asked.

Lois cleared her throat, walking back over to the kitchen. “Nothing, I didn’t realize we’d have guests. That’s fine though, I can cook dinner for three tonight.” She began pulling out her groceries again to begin cooking.

Dick held his hands up defensively. “Oh, no, don’t worry,” he started. “Clark only invited me up as a secondary source for a story.”

Lois turned back around and faced Dick. She then turned to Clark. “Secondary source?” she asked.

Clark nodded. “Yeah, that story I went to Gotham for. John here is giving me some good background on it.”

“Oh, the acrobat kid?” she asked. She turned back to Dick. “And you’re a...secondary source?”

Dick nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” Dick was hoping he’d be able to drop the discussion quickly & leave before he went any further with the story. He cleared his throat. “Well, it’s getting a bit late, & I wouldn’t want to intrude on your dinner together, so I think I’ll get going.”

“But John, you said your uncle would come for you, right?” Clark asked. “Maybe you should wait a little while longer.”

Dick bit his lip. He glanced back at Lois, who was shooting Clark a stare with heat vision. He turned back to Clark. “It’s fine, really. I’ll wait at the bus stop for my uncle.”

Clark shook his head. “I would feel terrible kicking you out. Please, stay.”

Dick scratched the back of his head awkwardly. There’s no way in hell he could stay. Lois clearly didn’t want company. Maybe he can kick him out. “I’ll stay, if it’s all the same to Ms. Lane,” Dick said, gesturing to Lois.

Lois stopped what she was doing at the kitchen & turned back to Dick. “Clark is right, we can’t throw you on streets,” she said. “You’re staying for dinner.”

 _Dammit,_ Dick thought to himself. “Fantastic,” he said out loud with a smile.

* * *

 Dick sat at his seat at the table and looked at the plate before him. The warm soft pasta was layered with the creamy alfredo sauce. There was grilled seasoned chicken under the pasta, steamy & hot. Dick could smell cheese somewhere in his dish. He couldn’t see it, but he was dying to taste it.

Dick forgot how long it had been since he had a proper meal. The food he got from the Underground wasn’t the best or the healthiest. In fact, he had often wondered where the raw meat had even come from. He pushed the sickening thoughts & memories from his mind, focusing on the plate in front of him.

Dick grabbed the fork and began eating. He took small, slow bites to maintain a normal image with his appetite. He was savoring every second of it.

Dick began asking Lois & Clark personal questions. Things about their lives & work, anything to keep the subject off of himself.

As time went on, the three of them managed to eat their dinner without anything spoken that Dick didn’t want spoken.

Lois stood up with her plate & reached for Clark & Dick’s. “I’ll do the dishes,” she said.

Dick nodded, smiling, & watched Lois walk to the sink & start washing the dishes.

Clark cleared his throat, calling Dick’s attention. Clark leaned in close, making Dick lean in closer. “You never finished your story,” he said.

Dick bit his lip. He sat back and shook his head. “That was it,” he said in a normal voice. “That morning, at the orphanage, that was the day I ever saw him. He left the orphanage, & Mother Louise promised to keep him safe, & give him a chance to run away from the law enforcements.”

Clark nodded. He sat back on his desk, looking down at the notepad where he was taking notes about the story. He stared at it, not with a look of accomplishment, but almost like a look a shame.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you wanted?” Dick asked. “Can you go with what I gave you?”

Clark took a second to respond, as if in deep thought. He shook his head & tore apart the entire notepad. “I can’t use this,” he said.

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. He worried if Clark had somehow caught on to Dick’s bullshit story. Were there any flaws in his lie? Dick didn’t think so. Dick spent so much time wondering what he did wrong, he almost didn’t realize that Clark had managed to rip apart an entire notepad with ease. But Dick disregarded it.

Clark sighed. “John, this guy was your friend…is...your friend. There’s no way I can feel right with releasing this exclusive story on someone with such a traumatic life.”

Dick began to breath with ease. He still put on a concerned look. “But what about your story? You might lose your job.”

Clark waved his hand away, shrugging it off. He pushed his seat back from the table and stood up. “I’m going to use the restroom.”

Dick nodded & watched Clark walk away. He glanced around the kitchen, hoping to find some sort of clock with an indication of the time. He looked out the window. He could see a red sunset in the sky. The silhouette of Metropolis was visible against the blood red sky.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Dick heard Lois let out an exasperated sigh. “One minute,” she called over the running water at the sink.

Dick got up from his seat & walked over to the door. “Don’t worry Ms. Lane, I’ve got it,” Dick said, smiling a charming smile to Lois. Lois smiled back briefly, then went back to the dishes.

Dick unlocked the door and opened it. An old man in a suit stood behind the door. He had gray hair & a thick mustache. He looked at Dick, then behind Dick, then back at him. He didn’t seem sure what he needed.

“Good evening, son,” the man spoke in a British accent. “My name is Alfred Pennyworth of Wayne Manor. I’m looking for a young man by the name of Dick Gra-”

Dick shushed the man before he continued. Dick glanced back behind the door where Lois was washing the dishes. She didn’t stop.

Dick let out a sigh of relief & turned back to the man. “I’m Dick,” he said in a hushed voice. “If THEY ask, my name is John,” Dick gestured to inside of the apartment.

The British man nodded in agreement. Dick took a step back into the apartment. “Alright, my ride is here,” he called to Lois. “I’ll be going.”

Lois swung her wet hand around from the sink, waving goodbye. “It was a pleasure having you here.”

Dick nodded. He glanced back to the direction where Clark had gone. He still hadn’t come back. “Tell Clark I said bye,” Dick said before walking out & shutting the door behind him.

Dick turned to Alfred in the apartment hallway. “Alright,” Dick started. “What is it you want with me at Wayne Manor?”

“I need you at Wayne Manor,” said a voice down the hall. It was a deep, American voice, unlike Alfred’s British accent.

Dick squinted his eyes, trying to make out the dark silhouette in the shadowy end of the hallway. He couldn’t tell who it was.

Alfred let out a sigh behind Dick. “Bruce, must you always be theatrical?”

Dick looked back at Alfred, then back at the silhouette. “Oh, right, sorry,” he said. He walked closer to Dick, into the light. Before Dick stood Bruce Wayne, playboy billionaire of Gotham. He stood there with his expensive suit, perfectly styled black hair, chiseled chin & built body mass. Dick remembered seeing his face in old magazines down in the underground. When Dick worked out, he always strived to look like Bruce Wayne. He was a goal, an idol, you could say.

Dick’s heart began to pound. Bruce gestured the stairs behind him. “Come, take a ride with me, Dick.”


	5. Playboy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce Wayne explains the circumstances that Dick has found himself, & the new arrangement that the two have now.

Dick followed Bruce Wayne & Alfred outside of the apartment building to their Lincoln parked out in front. Alfred opened the back door for Bruce & Dick & he walked over to the driver’s end. 

Bruce stepped back. “After you,” Bruce said, gesturing for Dick to enter first.

Dick straightened his back, arms crossed. “Mr. Wayne, I’m flattered to go on a ride in your fancy ass ride & all, but I’ve had a hell of a week. Actually, it’s only been a couple of days. I’m not really sure at this point. But I’m a little on edge, so pardon me if I’m hesitant to go on a ride with a stranger.”

Bruce smiled. “I’m a stranger?” he asked. “You know who I am, Dick.”

Dick let out a frustrated sigh. “Sure, okay, you got a point, but how do YOU know ME? Why come all this way to find me?”

Bruce nodded to the car. “Take a ride with me, & maybe I’ll explain it.”

Dick looked back at the seat. He turned and looked up at the building where Clark & Lois were. Dick hoped he’d see them again.

Dick turned back to Bruce & nodded. He walked over & slide into the backseat of Bruce Wayne’s car. Bruce followed, shutting the door behind him.

Dick took a moment to adjust the inside of the car. The first thing that hit him was the scent. The car smelled so fresh, like a snowy day in a forest. Something Dick had only experience a few times while traveling in the circus. Dick took a moment & breathed in deeply. A slight smile grew on his face.

“Overwhelming?” Bruce asked.

Dick turned to Bruce. He shrugged. “Just a bit,” he responded. “I’m trying to stay whelmed.”

The car began to hum as Alfred began driving. The vibration of the car was so miniscule, it was almost unnoticeable.

Dick’s hands began to rub against the leather that the seats were made of. The leather was so smooth. For some reason, the leather made Dick think of his old Flying Grayson’s costume. Dick shuddered at the thought and pushed the image from his mind.

Bruce pulled out a suitcase from the floor of the car and opened it. Inside were a few documents. Bruce handed them to Dick.

Dick wiped his hands on his jeans before taking the bright white paper. The first document was an adoption letter. It was from Gotham City Orphanage. It was stating that Bruce Wayne was now the legal guardian of Richard John Grayson. Louise Baxter had signed off on it.

Dick looked up at Bruce, confused. “Why would you want to adopt me?” he asked.

Bruce looked at Dick. “Dick, you don’t just ask an adult why they’re adopting a child.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Alright, first off, I’m not a child, I’m 16 years old. Secondly, I’m asking why why you’re adopting ME specifically.”

Bruce eyed Dick for a moment. He sighed. “You know a lie when you hear one,” he started. “I suppose there’s no other way to beat around the bush, so I’ll just come out & say it.” Bruce began picking at the bottom of his suit jacket with his fingers. “You’re a wanted fugitive in Gotham City.”

Dick’s heart didn’t skip a beat. He felt his heart stop beating altogether. Dick had to remind himself to breathe again. Then Bruce continued. “I have a friend in the GCPD, & they recently put out an APB on a Richard “Dick” Grayson. I was told it had something to do with an underground fight club that apparently caused some structural damage to the city’s foundation. Some suspects were pulled & questioned. Each of them said that you were the one who caused the damage.”

Dick nodded slowly. His hands had curled into fists. _Damn Nolan & Rodrick,_ Dick thought to himself. He looked up at Bruce. “That doesn’t explain why you’re adopting me suddenly.”

Bruce let out another frustrated sigh. Dick knew he was pissing Bruce Wayne off. He didn’t care. Dick was stubborn; he knew that. He wanted a real answer & was going to get it.

“Dick, my friend & I, we both realize that the whole case is corrupted. In fact, the entire city is corrupted. Old Gotham was JUST as corrupted, so when I heard the blame of the subway explosions were placed on you, I knew it wasn’t right. I remembered you, Dick. The Flying Grayson. I saw a couple of your shows. It seemed like magic, the way you flipped & flew through the air. It seemed like instinct for you. As if it was something you were born to do. Like being a Flying Grayson is in your blood. You were inspirational to me at 8 years old. You’re older now, but you don’t seem capable of dark things.”

Dick turned away from Bruce. He tried hard to fight the tears. He managed to force them back & clear his throat. He turned back to Bruce. “You have no idea what it was like down there,” he said softly. “You have no idea how dark it made me.”

Bruce shook his head. “I know about darkness, Dick. I’ve seen it.”

Dick scoffed. “Please, you’re a playboy millionaire who has enough money to blow on parties, bitches, & luxury. The only darkness you know is the dark emptiness of a wine bottle.” Dick immediately wish he had taken back what he said. It might have been a bit harsh.

Bruce cleared his throat. “Billionaire,” he mumbled quietly.

Dick nodded slowly. “Billionaire,” he repeated.

Bruce laid a hand on Dick’s shoulder. “You have a billionaire who is willing to put himself on the line to shelter YOU, a teenaged criminal. You really can’t get it any better than this.”

Dick nodded. “I supposed,” he said as he stared out the car window. He watched as they began to leave Metropolis & headed towards Gotham. If Bruce Wayne really did somehow know who Dick was & wanted to make sure he wasn’t accused of anything wrong in Gotham...then why did Bruce Wayne drive all the way to Metropolis to bring him back to Gotham? He would’ve been safer in Metropolis...right? Why bring him back to where people would be looking for him? What did Bruce Wayne, playboy billionaire, really want with Dick Grayson, Gotham City fugitive?


	6. Wayne Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick explores his new home, soaking in the new luxurious atmosphere.

Dick watched as Alfred opened the bedroom door. Dick’s eyes opened wide at the sight of the large elegant bedroom.

Dick’s walk from the car to the front steps of Wayne Manor had been mind blowing for him. He hadn’t seen a place that could bring him to awe in years. The building was large, like a castle of a king. Bruce Wayne’s front lawn was basically a vast field that Bruce could use to defend his home with his own private army. The darkness of the night made the home look eerie, but hauntingly beautiful. The Manor was overwhelmingly magnificent. Dick’s doubts about Bruce Wayne had momentarily vanished.

Now, as he stood under the doorway of his new bedroom, his wonder grew even more.

Dick walked inside, admiring the large window to the left. It took up almost the entire wall. A few bookshelves were built into the walls, & a few dressers were set along the walls. Around the room hung frames with paintings of different landscapes, all which seemed to be of Wayne Manor.

Dick went to the bed. It was a large king size bed with silk blankets & thick pillows. Dick pressed his hands down on the mattress. His hands sunk deep in the softness, like a large marshmallow. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a proper bed.

Dick turned around & was startled by a giant family portrait. Dick’s heart rate began to slow once he saw the portrait clearly. It was a father with his wife to his right, sitting in a large chair. On her lap sat a young boy. The father & son both wore dark suits that went well with their dark colored hair. The mother wore a dark blue dress that yet seemed to shimmer & glow in the portrait. Dick wasn’t sure if it was the work of the artist or if that’s how she truly appeared.

Dick turned back to Alfred, who had been watching him the entire time with a friendly smile & his hands behind his back.

Dick nodded to the painting above. “These are Bruce Wayne’s parents?”

Alfred turned to the painting. He slowly nodded. “Yes, they were, sir,” he responded in a gentle voice.

Dick looked at Alfred. He looked at his face. There was a small hint of pain that began spreading across Alfred’s face. The Waynes were dead, that much was clear. Alfred seemed to be going down a heartbreaking memory lane. Dick looked away once Alfred’s eyes began to look glassy.

After a few moments, Alfred spoke up again. “That photo was painted in here,” Alfred said with a small crack in his voice. He cleared his throat, speaking again. “This was Master Bruce’s bedroom when the portrait was done.”

Dick’s eyes widened. “Crap, this was Bruce Wayne’s bedroom?”

Alfred nodded. “Is that an issue, sir?”

Dick bit his lip. He shook his head. “I just feel like it’s a bit of an invasion of Bruce Wayne’s painful past, you know?” Dick gestured to the painting. “This was his bedroom when his parents were alive, but they’re dead now. I don’t know if it’s a good idea for a stranger like me to be here.”

Alfred gave a warm smile. “Son, they died a very long time ago. Master Bruce has already mourned their deaths.” Alfred began to turn around when he added something else. “Besides, it seemed a bit fitting considering your circumstances.”

Dick’s heart began to pound. Was he referring to his dead parents?

“On the other hand, if you wish to be moved to a different bedroom, I’d be happy to escort you to another,” Alfred suggested. “However, none are as spacious & elegant as this one.”

Dick glanced around the bedroom. It did feel weird sleeping in Bruce Wayne’s childhood bedroom. It felt even stranger with that portrait of his dead parents hung on the wall opposite from the bed, as if they’d be watching that bed for the rest of eternity.

Still, Dick couldn’t bring himself to reject Bruce’s offer in sleeping in his old bedroom in risk of offending him.

Dick smiled as he turned to Alfred. “I’ll be fine for now, I think.”

Alfred smiled. “Very well. I’ll leave you to settle in, then,” he said as he turned to walk out the door.

Dick began scanning the room. He wanted to familiarize himself with it. He put his hands on his hips when he felt something. He traced his fingers down his back pocket when he realized he still had the envelope.

Dick silently cursed to himself as he searched a place to keep the money. He considered hiding the money in the pillow. Dick grabbed the pillow to find the actual pillow wasn’t kept in a pillow case. It was an entire silk pillow. Dick cursed at the rich man’s pillows & tried lifting up the mattress, considering leaving the envelope there. But Dick also thought about Alfred, & the chances of him washing the bedsheets as part of his butler duties. Dick shook his head and dropped the mattress. Dick dropped to the floor to look & see if he could somehow leave the envelope under the bed. There was nowhere to leave it, & he couldn’t exactly leave it on the ground under the bed. Alfred might clean under there too. Dick sat up & looked all around the room, looking for the one spot Alfred wouldn’t clean or touch.

Dick’s eyes slowly rose up to the portrait of Bruce Wayne & his parents. Perhaps there was an indention behind the painting Dick could leave the envelope in…

No. Dick could never do that. It was disrespectful. Dick only imagined if it were a portrait of his own parents & a random rugrat stuck things behind THEM.

Dick ran a frustrated hand through his hair. He looked at the bedroom door, which Alfred had left slightly cracked open. Dick rushed to the door, swinging it open. He looked down the hallway in one direction. Then the other. Alfred was a few yards down, almost at the end of the hall.

“Hey, Al,” Dick called out.

Alfred stopped and turned back to Dick. Dick gestured for Alfred to come back, then disappeared into his room.

After a few moments, Alfred appeared at the bedroom door. “What can I do for you, Master Dick?”

Dick opened his mouth to speak then closed it. He then spoke again with something different to say than what was on his mind. “I, uh, don’t know if I’m all that comfortable with you calling me Master Dick.”

Alfred let out a small chuckle. “Master Bruce felt the same when I started using that title for him as well. It’ll grow on you.”

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, not wanting to continue with that discussion. “Alright, anyway, I need to ask you a favor.”

Alfred nodded. “Anything, sir.”

Dick swallowed. He felt his hands becomes a bit clammy. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then spoke. “I need to hide something in here,” he started. “My concern is that when my room is being cleaned, it’ll raise some questions. But perhaps if this particular something were...overlooked…” Dick trailed off, eying Alfred’s expression.

Alfred shook his head, laughing softly. “Oh, son, how uncanny your similarities with Master Bruce are. He was just as mischievous as you, hiding silly little things around the home.”

Dick nodded, unsure what to say. It wasn’t everyday Dick was compared to a billionaire. Dick grabbed the envelope from his pocket and held it out for Alfred to see. “I think there’s about-”

“Please,” Alfred interrupted, waving a hand. Alfred had closed his eyes. “The less details I know, sir, the better I will be at keeping this secret.”

Dick nodded, understanding. Alfred began to walk over to the wall where Dick’s bed was against. Alfred began stroking the wall with his hand. Suddenly his hand stopped. He tapped a spot with his finger & stepped aside for Dick. “Place your finger there,” Alfred said.

Dick’s face grew questioning when he looked at the spot Alfred pointed at. It was a random spot on the wooden wall. The wall was rows of hard wood panels, each one being around 6 inches long by 2 inches horizontally. The panel had a few holes within the wood, given the wood a more natural look. Alfred had pointed at one of the holes.

Dick hesitated, but he took a step closer to the wall. He stuck his finger within the hole. He wasn’t sure what to do at this point. Dick traced his finger within the hole, trying to feel out the panel. The hole wasn’t too deep, but the panel did appear a bit loose.

Dick pulled the panel toward him with his finger. The panel slid to the right, extending out. Beneath the wooden panel was a metal safe. It had what appeared to be a thumbprint scanner on the safe.

Dick turned back to Alfred. “I can keep my money here?”

Alfred nodded and stepped closer to safe. “Yes, it’s just that the imprint on the scanner is defaulted to my thumb.” Alfred rose his thumb up onto the panel & scanned it. The safe scanner light shone from its original blue hue to a bright green hue. The safe door swung outward, over the wooden panel.

Dick peeked at the inside of the safe. It was empty. He turned to Alfred. “Why is the default your thumb?”

Alfred let out a sigh. “Because at the time when our security was being installed, Master Bruce had been preoccupied & couldn’t personalize the finger scanners himself.” 

Dick nodded slowly, trying to imagine what Bruce Wayne could have possibly been doing that he didn’t even bother to set up his own home security system.

Dick opened his envelope. He removed three bills from the envelope and put them in his pocket. He put the envelope with the rest of the money in the safe. He shut the safe door shut.

Alfred opened a drawer from a nearby nightstand & removed a remote from inside. He pointed it at the safe & pressed a few keys. The scanner began to blink. He set the remote back in the drawer & shut it. “Alright sir, you can now set the safe’s scanner to your own finger.”

Dick nodded. He raised his hand, about to place his thumb up onto the scanner, but hesitated. Should he use a finger as predictable as his thumb?

Dick extended his ring finger and placed it on the scanner. The scanner hummed for a brief moment, but eventually turned from blue to green again.

Dick grinned in satisfaction. He slid the wooden panel back shut. He turned to Alfred, who had been watching with the same warm, friendly smile. Dick smiled back. “Thank you,” he said.

Alfred nodded. He began to turn away, but then stopped as if remembering something. “I forgot to mention, sir, there’s a laptop in the nightstand if you begin to feel bored at any time.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. He turned and looked down at the nightstand behind him. He opened the drawer to find a large laptop. The black lid seemed to shine against the light from the lamp on the nightstand. Dick let out a chuckle. “Thanks, Al, is there anything else about this room I should know about before I knock out? Any nooks or crannies?”

Alfred held up a finger. “Now that you mention it, there’s a secret passageway to a dungeon behind that bookshelf,” Alfred said, pointing at a shelf near the bed.

Dick looked back at the shelf. He began to walk towards it when Alfred pulled Dick back. “I was only joking, sir.”

Dick let out a laugh. “In this giant mansion, you can never be too sure.”

Alfred smiled and nodded. “Right you are, sir. I do believe that’s everything. The lavatory is at the end of the hall to the right. I’ll be sure to wake you up for breakfast, but if you must rest, I’ll give you the extra hours.”

Dick let out a sigh. “Thanks, Al,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound like a broken record.

Alfred threw his hands up. “Right, right, you’re already tired. You’ve had a long day. I’ll be out of your hair now.” Alfred walked out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

Dick laid back on the bed, feeling exhausted. Just laying on the bed brought such a wave of comfort & relief, Dick didn’t even bother changing out of the clothes he had worn for 2 whole days. He just wanted to relax & sleep. Something a boy his age shouldn’t have to yearn for so much. But everytime Dick shut his eyes, he saw a gun pointed at his face. He tried to push the image from his head, but then the sight of the grenade going off terrorized his mind. Dick began shifting in the bed, wondering how he’d get to sleep at night. He fought hard, but then he let the tears rush out. He wasn’t going to sleep again.


	7. Don't Tell Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick leaves the Manor to search for an old friend.

Dick sat at the dinner table, eating his plate of eggs & bacon while clicking away on his laptop. He didn’t think it was rude to use the laptop while eating breakfast since Bruce & Alfred had already had breakfast hours before.

Dick remembered Bruce stopping by the bedroom in the morning. Bruce had said something about Dick staying low & not going out for a while. Bruce may have said why, but Dick didn’t remember. He was too dozed off.

Dick glanced up at the clock in the kitchen. It was a quarter past 1:00. Dick had basically slept through all of breakfast.

Dick didn’t care. It was the first day in a while that Dick had to rest. Dick didn’t want to throw it away.

Dick sighed in relief. He went back to his computer. He typed in “Cheyenne Freemont” in a search engine. He had been thinking of her ever since he got out of Nolan’s Underground. He even had a dream about her the night before, despite his late night terrors. He was standing next to Cheyenne on the rooftop of a building in Gotham. It was a rainy night in the dream. It felt a bit scary, but with the feeling of her next to him, Dick felt great.

Now, with a chance to start anew, Dick only hoped he’d get a chance to start again with Cheyenne, wherever she may be.

Dick scrolled through the search results. A few were just social network pages of irrelevant women under the name. Dick took a bite of bacon, continuing through the results. Eventually, he found an online adoption record of a Cheyenne Freemont. According to the record, she had been adopted from the Gotham City Orphanage when she was 10 years old.

“Morning, Master Grayson,” Alfred said from behind Dick, startling him.

“Gah!” Dick called out. “Don’t do that!”

Alfred let out a laugh. “I apologize, sir,” he said. Alfred took a seat at the dinner table. “How did you sleep last night?”

Dick shrugged. “A few nightmares, a few pleasant dreams. Just the average subconscious of an adolescent boy.” Dick took a bite of egg from his breakfast plate. “How did you sleep?” Dick asked with a full mouth.

Alfred smiled. “Swell, sir,” he responded. Alfred nodded to the laptop. “Doing some online browsing?”

Dick nodded, turning back to the laptop screen. “Just searching up an old friend from the orphanage. I’m considering visiting her soon, but I dunno…” Dick trailed off.

Alfred eyed Dick for a few moments. He raised an eyebrow. “Do you have an address, son?”

Dick began scanning the page. He looked everywhere but only saw the names of the adoptive parents, Xavier & Linda Foster. Dick entered both names in the search engine & found an address in Gotham. Dick turned to Alfred. “3546 Westin Road,” Dick told Alfred.

Alfred stood up. “Grab a coat, Master Grayson, I’m driving you there.”

Dick held his hands up. “Whoa, whoa, whoa!” he cried. “What? Really? Are you sure? I’m supposed to stay here, Al.”

Alfred let out a sigh. “This girl, she’s special, right?”

Dick hesitated before answering. He wanted to answer properly. “Cheyenne,” he started, “she was my only friend at the orphanage. She was all I had. We both felt alone. My parents had died, but her parents had abandoned her. We were both lost & confused. I remember she had asked me about the circus & my time there. I told her about some of my shows & performances. She made me do a few tricks for her. I had ran up a wall, flipping backwards, & continuing with a triple backwards flip. She was amazed.” Dick began staring off into space. He could almost see her standing before him, smiling in awe.

“There was a night that it began to rain heavily. It began to thunder. Turns out Cheyenne was afraid of thunder. She didn’t realize it until that night. She came into my bed & asked if I could let her sleep with me till the rain stopped. I let her. We fell asleep that way till the morning. They didn’t even want to wake us up because we apparently looked so peaceful.” Dick smiled at the memory. “We were lost, but we were lost together.”

Alfred smiled a large grin. “Young love, Master Grayson. It’s something Bruce never let himself feel. I certainly don’t blame him, but it is quite a shame. Now you, on the other hand, get the chance to capture that love.”

Dick waved Alfred off. “Al, that was, like, maybe 5 years ago. Who’s to say she’ll even remember me?”

“Who’s to say she won’t?” Alfred countered. “Wouldn’t it bloody burn if she was wondering about you right now, but you would have never found out because you were sitting there bickering with me?”

Dick let out a laugh. “Alright, alright, fine, let me at least finish my breakfast.” 

* * *

Dick walked up the steps of the house. Dick looked back behind him, where Alfred was waiting in the black Lincoln in the driveway. Alfred gave Dick a reassuring look. Dick nodded. Alfred had already risked driving Dick into town. Dick had to take advantage of this opportunity to see Cheyenne.

“This is fucking crazy,” Dick mumbled as he approached the front door and knocked.

Dick waited patiently. He felt his heart beat heavily in his chest. What if Cheyenne didn’t recognize him? Hell, what if he didn’t recognize her? Dick took a deep breath to sooth his thoughts.

Suddenly Dick sensed movement to the left. He turned and noticed a shift in a window in the left of the house. Something had moved the curtains.

“Yes?” said a woman hiding behind a cracked open door. She was middle aged with blonde hair & the slightest hint of grey in her roots. She had stress wrinkles all over her face.

Dick cleared his throat. “Hi, um, my name is Dick Grayson. I’m a friend of your daughter, Cheyenne.”

The woman squinted her eyes at Dick. “Beg pardon?” she said.

Dick swallowed. “Uh...my name is-”

“I heard you the first time,” the woman said harshly, cutting Dick off. “Did you say you’re a friend of Cheyenne?”

Dick slowly nodded, confused. The woman looked back inside and opened the door wider, allowing Dick to walk in.

The woman lead Dick to the living room. As Dick entered, a tall bald older man stood at the window. He wore a scowl & had stress wrinkles of his own. His eyes traced Dick’s movement as he approached the couch.

Dick took a seat on the couch across from the man. The woman sat in a recliner to the right of the couch while the man stood up and stared at Dick with his arms crossed.

Dick swallowed. “Xavier & Linda Foster, right?” he asked, clarifying that he had found the right home.

The woman nodded. “Yes, I’m Linda, & this is my husband, Xavier,” she said, gesturing to the grump that she was married to.

Dick attempted to smile at him, but Xavier’s scowl quickly turned to a snarl. Dick looked away. He noticed a fireplace behind Xavier. There was photos on the mantle. Some with Xavier & Linda together. Some with just Linda. Some with Xavier & some other men. None with a girl. None with Cheyenne.

“You have a lovely home,” Dick said, turning to Linda.

Linda managed a smile that had “fake” written all over it. It quickly faded. “So, um, Dick, you said you knew Cheyenne?”

Dick nodded. “Yes, when we were younger.”

Linda nodded. “Ah, okay, that explains it,” she responded. She turned to her husband. “Honey, can you get me a bottle of my juice? It’s by the phone.”

Xavier nodded, still frowning, & walked past Dick to the kitchen He continued to glare at him till he was completely gone from sight.

Linda cleared her throat. “Dick, how exactly did you meet Cheyenne?”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “We were at the orphanage together when we were younger.”

Linda nodded. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“The day she was adopted,” he answered. “She left with her new family, & I remember saying goodbye to her. We were both young still. I assume it was your family she had left with that day.”

Linda nodded. “It was, yes.” Linda tapped her fingers against her thighs impatiently. Finally, Xavier came back with a bottle. He handed it to Linda, who quickly opened it. As she twisted the cap, her hands shook heavily. She was clearly as nervous as Dick felt.

She took a sip & sighed. “Dick, it was hard for her to grow up here,” she admitted. “She was always a bit awkward, & we couldn’t put together what it was. She made kids at her school nervous. After a few years, we had to pull her out & homeschool her. Even then, it didn’t turn out the best for her. She was still not connecting with us.”

Dick let every word soak in. Every detail of her life was a piece of the puzzle that he wanted to finally fit together. After so long of running, he finally was at a place where he could try to pick up where he left off with her. This family was his only hope of finding her again.

Dick felt a smile slowly wash over his face. “At the orphanage, we always connected. We understood each other. We were young, but we really were best friends. She was never nervous with me. A little bit quirky, sure, but so was I.” Dick let out a sigh. “She was great.”

“No, she wasn’t,” Xavier suddenly said. Dick turned to him, eyes wide open. “She was troubled and dangerous.”

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but then LInda spoke up. “One night, Xavier & I went out for dinner, leaving Cheyenne alone here. She was 13, I didn’t think anything bad would happen.”

“When we got home, our power was out,” Xavier explained. “The power line had somehow been knocked down. We went to check up on Cheyenne. We walked into her room, & all of her furniture had been...elevated. From nothing. Just floating in thin air. Linda was terrified, she ran downstairs screaming. I tried to make my way to Cheyenne slowly, & a lamp flew to my head and knocked me out.”

“It was like a poltergeist,” Linda said. “Everything was moving on its own. I was in the kitchen calling 911 when she came down & started screaming & crying. Glasses started breaking & a knife almost flew into me!” Linda brought a shaky hand up to her ear, as if recalling the spot where the knife almost grazed her. “Cheyenne ran that night. Where, we don’t know. And quite frankly, I don’t give a damn where she is.”

“That girl is a monster,” Xavier said. “She’s pure evil. That night was a sign of true darkness in the world. And the fact that you, a stranger, comes into OUR home & asks us about that THING, it makes me uneasy.”

Dick slowly rose his hands up in defense. “I apologize for intruding like this,” he started. “You’re right. I barged in and began questioning you two about a delicate subject. I shouldn’t have come.”

As Dick finished his sentence, there was a knock at the door. Dick looked back at the door, then to Linda, who was looking at Xavier. He shook his head and began walking to the door. “You’re right, you shouldn’t have.”

Dick slowly stood up and watched Xavier from his spot. Xavier opened the door to a man in a black jacket & jeans. He looked around 40 something. His shaven head made him look a bit threatening. He stepped inside. “You called about an intruder?” he asked.

“Yes, this boy came in and began to harass my wife & I about my daugher & refuses to leave,” Xavier whined, gesturing to Dick.

Dick’s hand clenched into a fist. “Wow,” he murmured.

The man walked closer to Dick, eying him. “Come here, kid,” he commanded.

Dick walked slowly around the couch to the man. “Sir, I knocked on their door. These people are lying, I came in only looking for a friend. I-”

“What did you say his name was again?” the man asked Xavier, interrupting Dick.

“Dick something,” Xavier answered. “Something with a G.”

“Dick Grayson?” the man suggested. Xavier nodded. The man turned back to Dick & removed a pair of handcuffs from behind him. “Dick Grayson, you are under arrest.”

“What?” Dick cried. He fought against the man’s grip on his wrists, but the man held them tight.

The man turned to Xavier with a grin while snapping the handcuffs on Dick’s wrists. “Mr. Foster, you just helped put a Gotham City fugitive into custody.”

Xavier nodded slowly with a smug look, feeling impressed.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” Dick spat at Xavier. “You disown your only daughter & call a cop on me for asking too many questions!”

“She is NOT my daughter!” Xavier yelled back. “Cheyenne was a monster. I hope she’s in Hell where she belongs.”

Dick began to be pulled away by the cop. Dick fought back, but the cop’s grip was stronger. “I’ll see YOU in Hell, Foster,” Dick hissed before being pulled out of the doorway.

Xavier slammed the door as the cop walked Dick down the steps of the house. Dick looked up & saw Alfred standing next to the Lincoln in fear.

As the cop walked Dick passed the Lincoln toward his own car, Dick turned to Alfred. “Don’t tell Bruce.”


	8. Interrogation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick sits through an interrogation in the Gotham City Police Department, done by Detectives Jim Gordon & Detective Harvey Bullock

Dick sat at the table in the dark interrogation room, staring at the guard by the door. He stared right back at Dick with a stern face, as if attempting to intimidate him. It was working.

Dick grinded his teeth, upset he had got himself in the situation in the first place. He didn’t know how long he would be waiting, but he certainly hoped it wasn’t long enough for Bruce to find out. It felt like Dick had waited for a few hours. It was like he was in a prison. Dick was thankful they hadn’t kept the handcuffs on him in the room.

Suddenly the door swung opened, & a large burly man walked in, followed by another man in average height. The larger man wore a fedora & a dark shirt with overalls. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing dark tattoos on his hairy, muscular arms. The man behind him wore a black coat over a bright shirt & a blue tie. He had a small mustache & wore wire framed glasses. He carried a few manila colored folders in his hand.

The larger man spoke first. “Richard John Grayson, am I right?” he asked in a loud & deep voice. Dick simply nodded. “I’m Detective Harvey Bullock.” He pointed to the smaller man behind him with his thumb. “This guy here is Jim Gordon. We’re going to ask you a few questions. Cooperate, & this will go by fast & smooth, & I can go home. Alright?”

Dick nodded slowly, keeping in mind that the man hadn’t said anything about Dick returning home.

Detective Bullock nodded with a slight grin & took a seat across from Dick at the table. He leaned forward on the table, close to Dick. Dick could see the gray stubble around the man’s chin. His body reeked of a sickening odor, like he had bathed in dead bodies & forgot to wash up.

Detective Bullock cleared his throat. “Why’d you blow it up, kid?”

Dick’s eyes rose open. He was afraid to speak out of turn, but spoke anyway. “Wait, what?”

Bullock sat back. “Gotham City Underground. The subways. Why’d you blow it up?”

The guard standing by the door cleared his throat. “Excuse me sir, but, um, I don’t think that’s why he’s in here.”

Bullock slowly turned back to the guard, an irritated look on his face. “What?”

The guard swallowed. “Uh, the cop who brought him in, he was some sort of neighborhood watch. He said this kid broke into a family home or something.”

Bullock slammed his hand on the table, causing everyone in the room to flinch. “‘Broke into a family home OR SOMETHING?!’” He repeated. “What the hell is wrong with you, did you bring me the wrong kid. or are YOU in the wrong room?!”

Finally, Jim Gordon spoke. His voice was a bit softer, but just as deep. “Harvey, the man’s right, they brought him in for a breaking & entering. This is the same kid who the suspects are saying blew the subways up, though.”

Bullock slowly turned back to Dick. His furious glare suddenly turned menacing. “Oh my God, this kid blew an abandoned subway station up, & broke into a home within a week, and he’s shaking like a kid about to be spanked!” Bullock stood up and reached over the table, grabbing Dick’s shirt collar & brought him close to Bullock’s face. The odor was so strong Dick could taste it. “Oh, boy, I oughta smack the shit out of you; maybe it’ll teach you not to fuck with my city, huh?”

Dick fought hard not to respond with a smart ass remark, yet the words he thought managed to escape his mouth. “This isn’t your city. You’re gonna wish you handcuffed me to the chair, because I’m about to teach you whose city this really is.”

“Oh, that’s it!” Bullock snarled before reaching back with his right hand, about to throw a punch with the brick he had for a fist. Suddenly Bullock was pulled back by Gordon. 

Gordon pushed Bullock back with his hand on his chest. “Dammit, Harvey, go punch a wall or something, will ya?”

Bullock slapped Gordon’s hand off his chest & snarled at him before leaving the interrogation room. The guard looked relieved that Bullock had left. Jim looked back at the guard & nodded for him to leave as well. The guard nodded & walked out the room silently.

Gordon let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Dick & sat down at the chair across from him at the table. “Sorry about him, son. Detective Bullock had always been the tough guy. Sometimes he just doesn’t know when to quit the act.”

Dick nodded slowly. This cop seemed genuinely nicer. Maybe Dick could find a way around this guy to get himself out quicklier.

Gordon laid out the folders on the table. “So, Dick. Can I call you Dick?” he asked. Dick nodded. “Alright, Dick, we’re really more interested in this bombing, but before we move onto that, we’ll start on this break in since it’s a smaller charge.”

Dick sighed. “Alright,” he began slowly. He wanted to chose his words carefully and make sure not to get the wrong people in trouble. “I went over to the Foster’s home to visit a friend. She wasn’t there, however. Apparently she had moved out or something. Her parents freaked out because they were emotionally distraught by their daughter’s absence that me coming over & asking about her made them feel threatened, resulting in the police being involved. They said I broke in to get me out of their house.I knocked on their door & Mrs. Foster let me in. I did nothing illegal.”

Jim Gordon nodded, listening to every word Dick said. “You’re right, they were an emotionally unstable family.” Gordon opened a folder & flipped through a few papers. He pulled one out and began reading it. “Cheyenne Freemont, that was the girl. Did the Fosters tell you what happened to her?”

Dick shrugged, not wanting to give too much away. “I assume she moved out.”

Gordon scoffed. “Well, it’s a hell of a story. This wackjob of a woman calls us up late at night. Maybe around 11:00 PM or something. She says for us to come & help us get a monster. We asked what the monster was. She said her daughter. So we go over within 10 minutes. The entire neighborhood’s power is knocked out. Power lines were fallen over, some into a few neighbor’s houses. Half of GCPD is attending to the damaged homes & family. I was with a few officers, Bullock had a night off. We talked to the Fosters. They said that the power was out at their house, & their daughter was making things fly, or float, or something. She made their house shake, apparently. But when we got there, she was gone.

“We went and talked to the neighbors about the power. Now, this is where it gets normal again. The entire neighborhood all claimed to have felt two tremors. One that knocked their power down, & another a few minutes later. Something of an aftershock, I guess. We’re thinking that these Foster characters got home from God knows what they were doing, found their home’s power out, & the interior damaged. Cheyenne, being a minor home alone in a small earthquake, ran away, frightened. I guess the Fosters conjured up this fairy tale to cope with the lose of their daughter & home.”

Dick sat there, taking in the story word for word. It sounded strange, but it seemed more logical than the poltergeist story he had heard.

Jim gave Dick a small, but friendly smile. “You’re fine, Dick. You did nothing wrong. You didn’t know about this. It wasn’t that big of a deal, even for the city. The tremors reached out for maybe a mile. On top of that, we had to bring in the Fosters for a psychiatric evaluation. The two of them, in fact, suffer from a few psychological disorders.”

Dick’s eyes opened wide out of surprise. “Really?” he asked. “Wow. The two of them looked pretty normal. Rude, but normal.”

Jim Gordon let out a small chuckle & crossed his arms. “Let me tell you something about normal, son,” he began, leaning forward on the table. Dick leaned forward as well, curious. “Gotham City is not a city of normal people. It’s not a city of normal things. No, in fact, nothing in this city is normal. Everything & everyone here is crazy. Whether it’s in our prison, or Arkham Asylum, or even in your local high school. Everyone is crazy in their own way. That’s what makes this city dangerous. That’s what makes this city a living hell.”

Dick nodded, agreeing with every word.  _ “Hell is home,” _ Dick recalled Nolan chanting.

Gordon flipped back a page in the folder. “So Cheyenne ran away. According to this, she was adopted, huh?”

Dick nodded. “That’s how I knew her.”

Gordon nodded, pointing to a spot on the page. “Gotham City Orphanage, right.” He continued reading, then looked back up at Dick. “Tell me about your time there.”

Dick felt his heart beat faster. This is where his life had begun to fall apart. “Uh, well, my parents died when I was 8. I was sent to the orphanage, having no relatives or close family to live with. The Haly Circus was a bad place to stay with since they were having contract issues. I was at the orphanage for a year or two. I met Cheyenne, & we became friends. She left when I was 12.”

Gordon nodded. “Haly Circus,” he said softly. “I remember seeing you preform. The Flying Graysons, right?”

Dick nodded. “Yeah, that was me. Pretty much everyone remembers seeing me jump through the air as a boy.”

“You know I had a nickname for you?” Gordon said, smiling. “I would bring my nephew to your shows & I would tell him, ‘Look, it’s the Boy Wonder!’”

Dick grinned. “Wow, that’s actually pretty terrible,” he joked.

Gordon waved him off. “I know, but my nephew loved it.”

Dick nodded, still smiling. Gordon continued speaking. “The Haly Circus had a few rough paths after the tragedy. There was the fire, then the murder of Jack Haly, & soon after that, the circus went into foreclosure. Most of this was because of a man named Anthony Zucco. He had some beef with Jack Haly, apparently he had borrowed money from Zucco to pay for the circus. Haly came up short when it came to paying Zucco back, so he burnt the circus down to prove a point. Once they were renovated it, Haly was in more debt. He couldn’t pay neither the city OR Zucco. Zucco killed Haly. Then, someone unexpected murdered Zucco.

“We were all shocked at the GCPD. We couldn’t catch this guy for a few years now, we didn’t know why. But a few years ago, somebody finally did. There’s a few rumors around our police department who believe the circus had a guardian angel. We thought that at this point you’d like to know about what had been happening. I went down to the orphanage to bring the news to you, but they said you had been adopted & wouldn’t release any records to me. We came back with a warrant, but Mother Louise stopped me. She said you had gone through too much & it was best you didn’t know.”

With each word, Dick’s heart felt heavier and heavier. The memory of the fire, his time after Cheyenne had left the orphanage, & his time on his own. Jim Gordon spoke again. “Now, you’ve grown from a talented young boy to a smart young man. I’m sure everything you’ve been through has built you into a stronger person. Especially with all that’s happened in that underground city we found.”

Dick’s heavy heart was beating irregular already. This statement made it freeze entirely. “What?” Dick simply said, his voice cracking.

Gordon waved a hand. “Son, we know about that whole deal. The weapons trade, the fight club, the gambling, all of it. We investigated the blast site & managed to hunt down a few people who had lived down there for a while.” Gordon opened another folder and removed a document and began reading. “I have here a listing of the suspects we brought in for questioning: Alex Henderson, Paul Schmit, William Quinn, Ben Parson, Jeffrey Kingston, Rodrick Farmer, & Nick Turner.”

Dick’s hand clenched into a fist involuntarily. “Rodrick Farmer?” he asked.

Jim Gordon nodded. “Yes, each of these suspects, all coincidently teenage boys, stated that you were involved with this underground fight club & were the one responsible for the subway explosion.”

Dick scoffed. “Alright, I’ll admit, I took part in the fighting, but I didn’t blow anything up.” Dick ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “You should question these boys about a guy named Nolan Drake.”

Jim Gordon pulled out a pen from his coat and began jotting notes down on the documents. “Nolan Drake?” he repeated. “Who is this?”

Dick let out a sigh. “Nolan was what the kids considered the mayor, or president, but more like a dictator. He set up the rules around the place. He came off friendly to some, but when you crossed him, he was sick and insane.”

Jim Gordon continued writing. He glanced up, but looked back down, finishing his statement. “Sounds like you two have history.”

Dick nodded. “When I first met him, he had two big goon looking brutes standing on each side. They looked clueless. Nolan smiled at me. It seemed genuine, yet it seemed like he was something else altogether. Something darker, like a cunning wolf. At first, it looks majestic, but when fucked with, it can pounce on you like the predator it is.”

Gordon nodded. “Alright, we’ll be sure to look into this guy.” He organized the folders & put them in one pile. He picked them up and stood from the chair. He walked to the door. “I’ll be back,” he said.

“Wait!” Dick called. “Bring Rodrick in here, please.”

Gordon looked back at Dick. He scratched the back of his neck, unsure. “I’ll try,” he said before stepping out.

Dick sat back as he waited. He thought about everything that had been said throughout the night. The incident with the Fosters was cleared up. Cheyenne wasn’t being investigated, so she would be safe, wherever she is. Dick was in the clear for what he had done the night he ran from the orphanage. He was also in the clear for the explosion. Or at least he thought.

Just as Dick was getting comfortable, the door opened. Walking in was Rodrick, in tattered clothes & a swollen face. He was handcuffed with his arms out in front. He looked up as he entered the room and stopped when he saw Dick. He began to turn around, but the door was slam shut by a nearby officer, probably the one who let him in.

Rodrick turned back to Dick. He began to laugh nervously. “Hey, dude,” he began. “You look like.”

Dick grinned. “Yeah. I was adopted by a billionaire last night,” he remarked.

Rodrick nodded slowly. “The rich get richer,” he mumbled softly.

Dick let out a chuckle. “Rodrick, I fucking miss you, man. Come here, let me hug you.”

“Oh, nah man, I’m good,” Rodrick said, shaking his head.

Dick nodded. He stood up. “Fine, I’ll come to you.”

Rodrick began to move away from Dick. Dick continued to follow Rodrick, both circling the table. “No, I’m good, man. I’ll stay across from you.”

Dick eventually stopped, feeling frustrated. He leaped up onto the table, sliding across, & swung his leg up, kicking Rodrick in the face. Rodrick fell over and screamed in pain. Dick began kicking Rodrick in his gut, over & over, each kick pressing deeper into his stomach.

A cop rushed in after a few moments. Dick stopped and held his hands up at the sound of the door opening. “Okay, he called. “I’m good. I’m done.”

The cop nodded & walked out the door. Dick looked at Rodrick, who was quivering on the floor. “You fucking psycho!”

Dick let out a loud laugh. “Hah! Can you blame me? I almost got blown up a couple of days ago!” Dick began circling Rodrick’s body. “I can’t BELIEVE you would go to so much trouble to rob me! I mean, really? A fucking grenade, man?”

“What the fuck makes you think that was me?” Rodrick cried.

“You fucking idiot, it’s not a coincidence that a grenade was tossed at me, knocking me out, giving you a chance to take the cash! Of course it was you!” Dick let out a frustrated groan, then kicked Rodrick again in the gut.

“Fuck!” Rodrick whined. “Yes, okay, I tossed it at you! I never meant to kill you, though! It was all just for the money! I was trying to keep track of how much money you won because I wanted to escape from Old Gotham too! I wanted the money to leave town with my mom & sister!”

Dick looked down at Rodrick. The words echoed in his mind for a few minutes. “What?”

“Yeah, man. Nolan had half of the boys down there acting as his bitches because he had managed to find a way to sort of blackmail us into doing his bidding, I guess. He had people kidnap someone’s girlfriend. He rigged another kid’s dad’s car to blow whenever Nolan wanted. He told me he had 3 men watching my mom & sister at home. The moment I disobeyed Nolan, he’d have his men kill my family. I wanted your money escape with my mom & sister out of town.”

Dick was speechless. He leaned back against the table behind him. He began to feel his heart sink. He hadn’t realized the predicament some of the boys down in Old Gotham were in. Rodrick had a family he was looking out for. The money really could’ve helped them. Suddenly Dick started to feel selfish, having only been looking out for his own skin.

Then again, Rodrick lied to Dick before. What was stopping him from coming up with another bullshit story?

“What’s your sister’s name?” Dick asked.

Rodrick looked up at Dick, still on the ground. “Tracy,” he mumbled. “Why do you care?”

Dick shrugged. “Maybe these guys can put your family in some sort of witness protection.”

Rodrick scoffed. “Nolan probably already had them shot,” he spat. “He was pissed at me before we were raided.”

Dick looked down at Rodrick. “What do you mean?”

Rodrick took a moment to breathe. He struggled to stand, but managed to lean himself against the table. He limped over to the chair & slouched down on it. “When I tried to make the run for it, Nolan sent his boys after me. He brought me to his Slaughterhouse.”

Dick shuddered at the thought. He was familiar with Nolan’s Slaughterhouse. Nolan had managed to find one large storage unit, & used it as his own personal torture chamber. He called it the Slaughterhouse.

“He tied me up to a chair & shined that giant lamp at me. He asked me where you had run off to. I told him I had no clue. He went behind the curtain he had & grabbed a baseball bat. He swung that shit at my face. He asked again. I couldn’t answer. He swung again. He kept doing that for a while, and eventually was bored and pissed. He told me he was going to have his men wait till my mom & Tracy were asleep in their bedrooms, then have them shoot them in their sleep.

“I freaked and said that if he let me out, I’d go topside to search for you. He was skeptical since I had blown up a subway & tried to run. He goes and grabs a dirty rag from the ground & a gallon of gasoline. He starts waterboarding me. I freak out, spazzing everywhere. The suddenly I hear a bunch of screaming. Nolan & a few of his goons had run away, & I was left tied up. The cops had raised the whole place, capturing a few kids. They cut me loose, but put me into custody.”

Dick nodded, taking in the story. Dick had no doubt this was all true. Something as cruel as what he had described was something Nolan was very much capable of. In fact, Dick himself had witnessed the cruelty Nolan had put Dick & others through.

Dick turned to Rodrick. “Have you told the cops anything about where Nolan might be?”

Rodrick shook his head. “Dude, I have no fucking clue where the son of a bitch went. And even if I did, the cops wouldn’t stand a chance at catching the fucker, let alone finding him.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

Rodrick looked up at Dick. “The guy is psychotic. He’s obsessed with power. Have no idea why, but the guy wants to rule people! Like Napoleon, or Hitler or something. He thought it was enough to have us all succumb to his control underground, but he grew power hungry. He’s been planning a citywide takeover. I don’t know the full details, but he has some sort of thing going on. And whenever that plan fails, he has a contingency plan! And with the sort of connections Nolan has with the criminal underworld, there’s no telling what he might do.” Rodrick gestured to the door behind him. “Those cops out there don’t stand a chance to the mind of a insane boy.”

Dick nodded. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the door opened behind Rodrick. A cop stuck his head through the door. “Grayson, you’re free to leave.”

Dick looked up. “Just like that?” he asked.

The cop nodded. “Yeah, Bruce Wayne is demanding that we let you go. Detective Gordon says we got everything we need from you now, so you’re free to go.”

Rodrick smirked. “Son of a bitch, you weren’t kidding about the billionaire.”

Dick nodded, walking out towards the door. He turned back to Rodrick, who was turned in his seat. “Be careful, dude,” he warned him. “And whether or not anything you said was true, seriously stay away from Nolan. We both know the guy really is crazy.”

Rodrick nodded, turning back in his seat. Dick walked down the hallway. He made his way to Detective Gordon. “So Bruce is here?”

Gordon nodded. “Yeah, he’s pissed. We told him your charges were dropped, but we wanted to bring you in for questioning. That didn’t help, though, he’s still mad.”

Dick nodded. “Have your guys look out for Nolan Drake,” Dick said. “And Rodrick Farmer. He might have a family. A mom & a sister, Tracy. There might be a hit on them, so if they really exist, keep an eye out.”

Gordon nodded. “Will do, son.”

Dick nodded, & turned away. He walked down the hall and entered the police station lobby. Standing in the middle, with his buff arms crossed over his large chest, was Bruce Wayne. “Dick!” he called.

Dick waved shyly. “Hey,” he said softly. 

Bruce ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Dammit, Dick,” was all he said before turning & walking towards the exit.

Dick watched, confused, then rushed after him. He followed him outside, down the street towards his car. Alfred stood at the driver end of the car. “Evening, Master Dick,” Alfred called. “I apologize for-”

“Al, not now, dude,” Dick shot back.

Bruce suddenly spun in his tracks & slapped Dick at the top of his head.

“Ow!” Dick cried. Bruce surprisingly slapped hard. “What the fuck, man?”

Bruce pointed an accusing finger at Dick. “I told you to stay at the house today! I didn’t want you being seen, & you managed to get yourself arrested!”

“Yeah, okay, that was stupid, but Detective Gordon & I talked & the charges are dropped about the break in & the explosion!”

“Wait, a break in?” Bruce roared. “How the hell did you manage to break into a house?”

“I didn’t! That’s why the charges were dropped!”

Bruce let out a deep breath, then continued to lecture Dick on disobedience for leaving the home. Dick lost focus. He began trying to identify a sound he heard to his right. He turned and noticed an alleyway. Dick slowly walked over, still facing Bruce to create the impression he was paying attention. He then glanced into the alley from the corner of his eye. He saw two bodies, on over another.

Dick turned instinctively to get a good look. A guy was beating up another, possibly mugging him. Dick ran down the alley, ignoring Bruce’s calls. As Dick ran closer, he had a better look at the fight. A tall man in a leather jacket was holding a smaller man in a headlock & repeatedly kneed him in his stomach over & over.

When Dick got close enough, Dick yelled “hey!” & ran towards the right, running up the wall for a brief second. As the man turned around, Dick kicked off the wall, sending his leg to swing around, kicking the man in the face. The man doubled over, falling back against a dumpster. He laid there, crumpled on the ground.

Dick stood up, panting. Bruce had begun running down the alley. Dick turned around, looking down at the fallen man who was being attacked. He wore a red hoodie. His hood was over his head. He laid still for a few moments, then his finger twitched. He began to groan.

Dick kneeled down next to the body. Dick shook the shoulder softly. “Hey, you okay?” Dick whispered. 

The man’s head shook, face still planted into the ground. He extended his arm out. Dick took his arm and wrapped it around his neck, helping the man up.

“I can stand,” mumbled the man. He struggled, but managed to get on his two feet. He removed his hood, revealing his brown hair & brown eyes. He had a clean shaven jaw, making him look young. In fact, he came off to look younger than Dick thought he was. He was only a boy, like Dick.

“Thanks,” the boy said. “Really, thanks so much. That bastard was trying to get his hands on my wallet, but I put up a fight.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “That was you putting up a fight?” he asked rhetorically. “I’d hate to see you actually lose, then.”

The boy let out a sarcastic laugh. He stuck his hand out. “Roy Harper.”

Dick looked down at his hand. He shook it. “Dick Grayson.”

Roy smiled, shaking firmly back. He looked over Dick’s shoulder, noticing a very stern Bruce Wayne standing behind him. Roy’s smile faded, and he removed his hand. “I think your dad is staring,” he whispered to Dick.

Dick turned around to face Bruce. He gestured behind him with his thumb. “I just saved this guy,” he said. “Have I made up for the arrest?”

Bruce shook his head. “Dick, do you honestly think beating up a guy justifies your reckless behavior?”

Dick shook his head, grinning. “No, but I just saved him from being mugged. I feel better about myself, & that’s good enough for me.” He turned back to Roy. “Alright dude, I have to go attend to my house arrest duties. You stay safe, & have a good night!”

Roy slowly waved at Dick & Bruce as the two walked back down the alley to the car. Bruce smacked Dick once again in the back of the head before getting in the car. 


	9. Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy Harper visits Dick & offers to take him out for coffee.

Dick stood at the kitchen counter waiting for the coffee machine to drip the coffee into the glass container. He looked at a nearby clock hanging above a window. It was almost 11:00 AM.

Dick sighed heavily. He was surprised he hadn’t slept in longer. Bruce had kept him up the night before. He had pestered Dick the night before with questions about the arrest. He had asked what Detective Gordon had asked Dick. Dick told Bruce everything, but Bruce kept worrying. He was paranoid till Gordon had called Bruce himself. The two talked, & Bruce eventually backed off of Dick. Dick didn’t go to bed till after midnight, though. He couldn’t managed to get himself to sleep. He kept having nightmares.

Dick shook his head. He didn’t want to think about it. He just focused on the coffee dripping into the glass container.

After a few moments, the glass container filled up almost halfway. Dick shut the coffee machine off and poured it into a white mug. Just as Dick was about to take a sip, there was a knock at the front door.

Dick sighed and took a quick sip of the coffee, then walked to the door.

As Dick opened the door, he immediately wished he had looked through the peephole in the door. It could have been a businessman Bruce was expecting. Maybe it was a Playboy Bunny coming to visit Bruce. Maybe it was a random stranger coming to rob Bruce. But when Dick opened the front door, he found the teenage boy Dick saved from the alley the night before.

The boy wore the same red hoodie he wore the night before. He had a few scars & bruises around his face, most likely from the fight he endured, possibly from elsewhere. He was a few inches taller than Dick, & surprisingly looked a bit more muscular. Dick wondered how the he couldn’t have managed to fight the attacker off on his own.

The boy smiled. “Hey,” he simply said.

Dick nodded. “Dude, how the fuck did you know where I live?”

The boy’s smile faded. He raised an eyebrow. “Uh, well, I remember seeing you leave with Bruce Wayne. It’s not that hard to find a millionaire’s mansion.”

“Billionaire,” Dick corrected. “Dude, aren’t there, like, guards at the front gate or something?”

The boy looked back behind him and shook his head. “No, just a big metal gate with a big W on it. There was a intercom on a keypad by the gate, but I didn’t think I could use that without an appointment or something.”

“So you sneak onto my property?”

“I’m not about to call to see if Bruce Wayne has a free lunch break to take the time to let me thank his son for saving my ass.”

Dick opened his mouth, ready to respond quickly, but that last part caught him off guard. “I’m not his son,” Dick said softly.

The boy stared at Dick for a moment, dumbfounded. He scratched his head, like an ape would when confused. Then he snapped his fingers at Dick. “Right, you said your name was Mason.”

Dick pursed his lips. “Grayson,” he corrected. “Dick Grayson.”

The boy nodded, holding his hand out. “Sorry, my bad. I’m Roy Harper, in case you didn’t catch that last night either.”

Dick shook his hand. Just as he pulled his hand away, Dick heard footsteps approaching from behind. He spun around quickly, almost startled. He only found Alfred walking over slowly.

“Master Grayson,” Alfred started. “Good morning.”

“Morning, Al,” Dick said as Alfred approached him at the doorway.

“You know, sir, it’s my duty to tend to welcoming guests,” Alfred said softly.

Dick looked up at Alfred, slightly confused. Then it registered through his head. “Oh. You answer the door around here. Oops.”

Alfred nodded. “All in a matter of time, sir.” He turned to Roy. “Would you like to come in, sir? I can get breakfast started up.”

Roy held a hand up and shook his head. “No, thank you though.”

“Very well,” Alfred said, nodded one last time before walking off into the kitchen.

Dick watched Alfred walk away, then turned to Roy. “So what are you doing here, man?”

Roy scratched the back of his head. “Well, uh, like I said. I wanted to thank you for saving my ass last night. I thought maybe I could, like, buy you breakfast.”

Dick stared at Roy for a moment. “Buy me breakfast?”

Roy nodded. “Breakfast.”

Dick’s eye began tracing Roy, moving up & down his body. He looked back up at him. “I’m flattered, but I don’t roll like that.”

Roy raised an eyebrow in confusion. Then it seemed to click in his head. “Bro, it’s not a date. For fuck’s sake, I’m only taking you to Stingaree’s.”

Dick made a face in disgust. “The pirate place?”

Roy nodded. “Yeah. They have breakfast there, right?”

Dick let out a loud sigh. He took one sip from his coffee & turned around. He nodded for Roy to step inside. “You’re taking me to Starbucks,” he simply said before walking over to the kitchen to get rid of the coffee.

Before he reached the kitchen, Dick heard more footsteps approach him from behind. “Wait, what’s going on?” Bruce asked, walking over in a smooth grey suit, looking good & ready for the day.

“Ray & I are getting breakfast.”

“Roy.”

“Roy & I are getting breakfast.”

Bruce looked from Dick to Roy & back to Dick. “I guess it’s alright,” he said. “Do you have a car to take him?” Bruce asked Roy.

Roy shook his head. “I came in a motorcycle,” he admitted.

Bruce nodded. He turned to Dick. “I have a few other bikes in my garage, come on.”

Roy waited by the door as Dick followed Bruce from the living room to a corridor that led to a large garage with bright lighting, filled with expensive sports cars, luxury cars & a few off-road vehicles. Towards the back were 6 motorcycles, some dirt bikes, some sport bikes, & some cruisers.

“Dick,” Bruce softly said from across the room. Dick turned back, realizing Bruce hadn’t walked one step from the door. Dick was already at the end of the garage.

Dick nodded at Bruce. “What’s up, man?”

Bruce walked slowly over to Dick with his hands slid into his pockets. He sighed. “I don’t know if you should go out today.”

Dick let out a groan. “Dude, the cops aren’t going to arrest me again. I’m gonna be fine.”

“Gordon told me about your involvement with Nolan Drake,” Bruce admitted. “He told me that the underground fight club has some ties to a few weapons trading with some city gangs, & I don’t want you to go out & have someone come after you.”

Dick was silent for a moment. He thought back to how much had been revealed to Gordon the night before & whether or not Rodrick & the others revealed more to him. He then considered how much of THAT was revealed to Bruce. “Is that all Gordon told you?”

Bruce shrugged. “That’s what I understood from his phone call, yeah.”

Dick nodded. “Well, I’ll be fine. I don’t know what else to tell you.” Dick turned back to the bikes. After a second, he turned back around. “Why is Gordon telling you any of that? Isn’t that, like, classified stuff?”

Bruce shook his head. “I’m your legal guardian. I have the right to know what’s going on with you & the law if your life is at stake.”

Dick eyed Bruce. “That’s another thing, Bruce. You’re apparently my legal guardian now, but where did you get that finalized? Did you go to the orphanage? Because I wasn’t there. I haven’t been there for a while, & anybody there would’ve told you the same. So who the hell let you adopt a kid who didn’t even live there?”

Bruce bit his lip. He looked down at his feet. Dick felt that Bruce was holding something back. “Pick a bike, Dick,” Bruce simply said.

Dick shook his head. Clearly he didn’t have an answer for Dick.

Dick turned back to the bikes, with a slight smug grin on his face. A black & green sports bike called Dick’s attention.

Dick slowly made his way over & swung a leg over the bike. He rested on top of the seat & gripped the handlebar of the bike. He leaned close to the front of the bike, trying to imagine riding the bike.

“This is a sexy motherfucker,” Dick mumbled.

Bruce nodded. “I named her Alexa when I bought it,” he said. “Actually, I was your age when I got it.”

Dick shot a stare back at Bruce. “Just give me the keys, man.”

* * *

 Dick grasped the warm plastic cup in his hands. He took a sip from the coffee & thought about the taste. It was hot, so it burnt his tongue a bit. But nothing was as bad as having to drink water from a boiler room in an abandoned subway.

“What about her?” Roy said in a low voice, nodding to his left.

Dick sighed. When Bruce gave him the bike, Roy & Dick had immediately rode out into the city without another word. Once they had arrived to the coffee shop, Roy offered to buy Dick his coffee, as a thank you for the night before. While they drank, Roy repeatedly asked Dick for his approval on countless women & their appearances. Dick was beginning to grow tired of the game.

“Yeah, man,” Dick mumbled. “I guess she’s hot.”

Roy nodded with a slight smirk. He subtly watched as the girl had walked from the counter across to a table where she met up with a few friends. Dick glanced back, noticing the three other girls sitting with the girl Roy checked out. Of the four that sat at the table, one redhead with blue eyes caught Dick’s attention. She was pretty, Dick couldn’t deny that.

Dick turned back to his coffee & took another sip, hunched over like a tired old man after a long day’s work. He savored the bitter burning sensation on his taste buds.

Roy opened his mouth to speak when Dick beat him to the punch. “Alright, dude,” Dick started. “This has been bothering me all day. I have to ask, though. Why are you really here?”

Roy raised an eyebrow. Dick realized how bushy they were. “What?” he asked. “You said you wanted Starbucks. I offered-”

“No, no, not that. Why are you taking me out at all? You don’t know me. I happened to save you from getting your ass kicked, & you want to repay me with an awkward cup of coffee while you googly eye some chicks that quite frankly look a bit too young for you? There’s something else you want. Is it money? Are you looking for money? You knew I was with Wayne, so you wanted his money. Is that it?”

Roy swallowed slowly and looked down at his lap embarrassed. He cleared his throat. “I’m not from here. I’m from Star City. I only came into town to visit my brother. I might be here awhile, & I guess I’d like to have a friend while I’m around, you know? To have at least one familiar face that isn’t my brother.” Roy gestured to Dick. “And with the way you kick ass, I’d be stupid to not try and befriend a guy like you.”

Dick eyed Roy. The way he spoke, it seemed genuine. Maybe Roy was telling the truth. Maybe he really did just need a friend. A familiar face. Maybe Dick was paranoid with trust issues.

“Familiar face,” Dick mumbled. “I suppose I get that.”

Roy nodded. He held up a finger. “Speaking of kicking ass, that dude wasn’t kicking my ass. I just want to make that clear.”

“Dude, the guy was pounding on you.”

“I let him.”

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but found the words wouldn’t escape his lips. He tried not to giggle. “Wait, you LET him kick your ass?”

Roy let out a groan. He began to explain, using his hands to emphasize each word slowly. “I have a problem. I guess you could call it anger issues. Maybe. But when I fight, & adrenaline starts pumping, & I get angry, I really lose control. I hurt people badly. I put a few in a coma.”

“Been there, done that,” Dick mumbled as he took another sip of his coffee.

“I’d like to think that having restraint & willpower to know when to fight & when not to fight is more rewarding in the long run,” Roy explained.

Dick let out a chuckle. “Right, because winning isn’t everything.”

“Exactly.”

“It’s just the only thing that matters,” Dick finished with a grin.

Roy let out a small chuckle. Dick took another sip from his coffee when Roy spoke again. “So, dude, okay, when you came to the alley, you were coming from the police station, right?”

Dick looked up at Roy. He began to feel suspicious & on alert, like a spotlight being shone on him. It felt like he was back in the interrogation room. He then remembered the spotlight that shone on his face a year ago that brought him to his most vulnerable. Roy wasn’t as bad, but he still made Dick nervous.

Dick nodded. “Yeah man, I was."

Roy nodded. “I was there too for a bit,” he said. “Those assholes are completely useless, man. I went in to file a missing persons record but they told me it’s not a case unless they’ve been missing for three days or something.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Eesh, that’s fucked up,” Dick mumbled. “Who’s missing?” Dick asked, hoping to keep the conversation away from him.

Roy looked up. “Just an idiot who owes me a beer.”

Dick looked down at his drink. He knew he wouldn’t get a real answer. Dick didn’t blame him. Vagueness was the only way of getting by in Gotham.

Roy took a sip from his drink. “What were you doing at the station?”

“Nothing,” Dick said a first. He shook his head. “They needed to ask me some questions. I guess I served as an informant in a way.”

Roy looked at Dick straight in his eyes. “Before I was mugged, I heard Bruce Wayne yelling in the street about a break in.”

Dick bit his bottom lip. He shrugged. “Well, it wasn’t exactly a break in,” Dick started. “In fact, it wasn’t even remotely a break in. I went to this house, looking for a friend, & her parents turned out to a little weird & looney. They fucking called the cops on me, & then I was questioned as an informant.”

Roy’s eyes widened. “Wow,” he said. “That’s fucked up.” He looked down at his drink. “You said ‘she.’”

Dick looked up at Roy. “You’re right.”

Roy raised a curious eyebrow. “She must’ve been one hell of a girl for you to go to jail for.”

Dick let out a chuckle. “I suppose,” he said softly. “It led me nowhere, though. I just wanted to see her now that I’m back in town, & I have no clue where the hell she may be.”

Roy looked down at his drink. He kept quiet for a moment. Dick looked around the coffee shop awkwardly. Roy then stood up from his seat. “Going to the restroom,” he mumbled as he passed Dick.

Dick watched as Roy walked to the back, into a restroom. Dick took another sip from his drink. He wish he knew more about where Cheyenne had gone off to. He didn’t want to risk talking to her parents again. He DEFINITELY didn’t want to speak to the cops again. They didn’t seem to know much about where she had run away to in the first place.

What would happen if Dick ended up finding Cheyenne? Would she be happy? Would she care? Would she even recognize him? Suddenly a thought crept into Dick’s mind that made his heart grow tense in fear. What if she didn’t like who Dick had become…?

Dick blinked away the tears that had snuck up on him & turned around in his seat. He saw the same group of girls from earlier sitting at the table. Dick looked at the redhead again. After a moment, she glanced up, noticing Dick looking over. She smiled, then looked down shyly. Her friends seemed to notice the redhead smiling to herself. They glanced over at Dick & began giggling. The started whispering amongst themselves & waving at Dick. Dick let out a soft chuckle & waved back. He had never really been hit on before. It was a good feeling.

Dick then started thinking about Cheyenne again. He remembered first meeting her. They were both so young. He really had no interest in girls at that point. Once he got a bit older, he had developed a crush on her. He never knew how Cheyenne felt, though. He liked to think she felt the same way. He never acted on his feelings. Maybe he should’ve.

“Okay, Dicky,” Roy called as he appeared from the back of the coffee shop. He walked back to the table with a sudden swagger that hadn’t been there earlier.

Dick watched as Roy took a seat across from him. “Don’t call me that,” Dick said.

Roy nodded, but went on. “Okay, what time do you have to be home?”

Dick thought about it. “I don’t,” he answered.

A grin grew over Roy’s face. “Next question: Do you believe in magic?”

Dick stared dumbfoundedly as Roy continued to grin. After not getting a response, Roy cleared his throat. “Magic, dude. You know, witchcraft, sorcery, dark arts, gypsies, all that sort of stuff. Anyway, I know a dude in town, Giovanni or something, he owns this little shop. It’s weird, I won’t lie. He sells books written in old dead languages & jars with what looks like body parts from small animals. At first, I didn’t think I should trust the guy, but he turned out to be so jolly & nice.

“He did that tarot reading thing on me. I got this card that said Eight of Pentacles, I’m not sure what that meant. Then there was a Strength card, & a Hanged Man. Now, that one scared me. It was reversed. The card apparently represented an outdated relationship, & a sacrifice should be made to let go of something, or someone. Something like that.”

Dick nodded, unsure where the conversation was going. “That’s really vague, fuck tarot cards.”

Roy scratched his head. “Yeah, but the way he talked to me, it was vague, but accurate in a subtle way. Then he pulled out a fucking crystal ball. He made me place my hands on it, & he held his over mine. He started, like, seeing something. He was the one who told me about my missing friend.” Roy looked down at his drink, suddenly in deep thought. Dick watched as he shook the cup. Roy hadn’t realized it was empty.

Roy looked up at Dick, finally getting to his point. “You mentioned your friend. You were looking for her. I can bet you this Giovanni guy can find her for you. Whether it’s some weird mind reading or hypnosis or God knows what, he can do it.”

Dick pursed his lips. He leaned forward towards Roy, feeling his heart pound steadily. “How can I be sure this is legit? You find your way to my house, buy me coffee, & now wanna take me to some creep psychic dude? How do I know you’re not some low life who’s scheming to fuck me over in the last minute & kill me or steal from me or something?”

Roy stared at Dick seriously. “You’ve got bad trust issues, man,” he said with a scoff. Dick remained silent. Roy sighed, then continued. “Look man, honestly, you’re right. I could easily just be a con artist prying on the adoptive sons of rich men. You have no way of knowing for sure, though. You’ll just have to take a leap of faith.”

Dick let the words soak in for a moment. Faith. That was a word he hadn’t heard in what felt like ages ago. It almost had no meaning. Dick sat bad, considering the possibilities. “Okay,” he started, “sure. Maybe you are a good guy. But I don’t trust psychics. They usually just rip you off & take your money while just talking bullshit, right?”

Roy shook his head. “This guy was pretty accurate, man. It didn’t feel fake like with other people. I actually FELT something happening to me while he read my mind.” Dick’s face indicated that he still wasn’t sold. Roy cleared his throat. “I’ll pay for your reading, so they’ll be ripping me off & not you, how’s that sound?”

A small grin rose in the corner of Dick’s mouth. Dick continued to consider the possibilities. “And this guy could read my mind...to find Cheyenne?”

Dick stared at Roy, waiting for an answer. For a brief moment, Roy was in a bit of a shock. Dick realized he hadn’t mentioned Cheyenne’s name before. “Yeah, dude,” Roy said softly. “They most likely can find her. Use your mind & connections to her to locate her, something like that.”

Dick continued thinking about the situation. Roy actually did seem trustworthy; Dick really was just a bit paranoid, he had to admit. Roy would pay for the psychic, so if it did turn out to be a scam, Dick wouldn’t have much to lose. On the off chance that it wasn’t a scam...he might actually find out where Cheyenne was. He could finally talk to her again. He needed to see her desperately.

Dick sighed. He grinned softly. “Alright dude, abracadabra, let’s go see some psychics.”


	10. The Hermit & The Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick & Roy visit a local psychic's shop, resorting to the supernatural to find Cheyenne Freemont.

Dick followed Roy on his bike down the street that eventually turned from the main road to a small ghetto. When they left the coffee shop, it was 12:30 PM. It took them over an hour to get out of Central Gotham & make their way towards the Narrows. Once they did, it was a few minutes past 2:00 PM. Dick felt like the entire day had passed and he wasn’t sure why he even decided to go out with Roy.

The two eventually slowed to a block that was home to old vintage shops. Some sold old antique items, some sold old clothing. There was an old movie theatre a few doors down, & a couple doors away from that was a shop called “ _Giovanni’s”._

Dick slowed his bike to a stop next to Roy. “That’s the place, huh?” Dick asked.

Roy nodded. “Yeah, this is it.”

Dick looked up at the sign above the door. “For a psychic, you would think he’d be creative with another name for the place.”

Roy turned to Dick, raising a questioning eyebrow. “Well, what would YOU name it?”

Dick thought about it. He couldn’t come up with another name. “Shut up,” he mumbled.

Dick sat up from his motorcycle & stepped onto the curb. He looked back at Roy, who was still on his bike. “Are you coming?” Dick asked.

Roy shook his head. “When I went & got my reading, the dude had said it was good to be alone because there’s less auras clouding the telepathic something.”

Dick let out a sigh. He felt nervous about going to see the psychic alone. “Fine, how long will it take?”

Roy shrugged. “It took me a little over an hour.”

Dick nodded. He looked up at the door. There was tons of stickers & posters of abstract symbols. Some looked like stars & moons. Some looked like Aramaic script. The lighting inside of the windows looked dim. He didn’t feel anymore comfortable going inside. He had driven all the way out there, though. He might as well go through it.

Dick walked to the door and pushed it open, startled by the bell above the door ringing. The first thing Dick noticed going in was the smell. It was an old stench, as if everything in the store was ancient. Dick coughed for a moment, choking on the thick musty air & shut the door behind him. The air itself had dust flying around in the light rays that shone through the windows.

Dick had to take a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. He noticed the tall shelves filled with books with dead languages as titles & jars covered with clothes & labeled in similar dead languages. He looked up at a wall, which was entirely covered by a painting of constellations. It was incredibly artistic and beautiful, using dark blue & black colors with the most subtle hint of white to represent the stars.

“Hello?” Dick called, his voice unable to echo in the cramped store. There was small round tables with older books on stands for sale, & a few decks of cards. There was also a few accessories like expensive looking jewelry & rings. Dick went over to touch a blue band that had an engraved symbol that resembled a golden bird. It sat on a table next to a phonograph that also caught Dick’s attention. Jack Haly used to have one in his office.

“Like what you see?” said a woman’s voice from behind Dick. Dick turned to see a young pretty girl with jet black hair stretching down past her shoulders standing by a doorway in the back of the shop. She wore a black blazer with a white button up under it, & tight black skinny jeans. She had her arms crossed and was leaning against the door. She had a sly grin across her face. “That one is a family heirloom of Abraham Lincoln,” she said, nodding at the phonograph.

Dick glanced back down at the vintage record player then back up at the girl. Her grin stretched into a huge smile, then she giggled. “Dude, I’m kidding,” she admitted.

Dick sighed. “Sorry,” he mumbled embarrassedly. “I’m a little confused as to what half of this stuff is.”

The girl walked over to a large circular desk that had a crystal ball on one end, a deck of cards in another, & a few small statues of creatures Dick couldn’t place names on. “It’s okay, I know what that’s like.”

“Really?” Dick asked, walking slowly over to the desk.

The girl smiled. “No, I grew up checking half of this stuff out every day.”

Dick looked at the girl with a raised eyebrow. Who was she? Did she work at the store?

Dick cleared his throat. “Um, I’m looking for someone,” he started. “An old dude, a psychic I think. Probably Giovanni.”

The girl’s smile faded slightly. “Sorry, my father is away on business. Whatever it is you need, though, I can help you with,” she ended off with a seductive wink.

Dick felt his cheeks burn slightly. He cleared his throat once more. “Sure,” he said, his voice cracking softly.

The girl eyed Dick with confused look. “Well, what is it you need?”

Dick scratched the back of his head. “My friend came in here recently wanting to find someone,” he started off. “Apparently your father could locate people psychically.”

The girl nodded, taking a seat behind the circular desk. “Yeah, I think my dad told me about that. Red hoodie, right?”

Dick nodded. “Most likely.”

“Yeah, my dad did that for him.” The girl looked up at Dick, her dark eyeliner making her blue eyes bright. “Do you need me to do the same?”

“Can you?” Dick asked. His heart began to pound. He might actually be getting somewhere with this.

The girl nodded, smiling. “Sure, it’ll take a bit of work, but I can.” She gestured to the seat for Dick to sit down. She began to shuffle a deck of cards next to her.

“My name is Dick, by the way,” Dick said as he sat down.

The girl looked up at Dick. She tucked a small lock of her black hair behind her ear. “I’m Zatanna,” she said.

“Zatanna?” Dick repeated. “Is that, like, a roleplaying name?”

Zatanna looked up at Dick, eyebrow raised. “Excuse me?”

Dick felt his cheeks burn. “Um, like, a magic name or something?”

“My name is Zatanna,” she said a little harshly. “Zatanna Zatara.”

Dick stayed quiet for a moment. He genuinely thought it was a fake name. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled.

Zatanna finished shuffling the cards. “Don’t sweat it,” she said softly. “...Dick,” she added with a slight emphasis.

Dick made a slight grin. He walked right into that one.

“Alright, so to create a locator spell, I could use several methods. The most common one is for me to use an old item of hers, like a charm necklace, an old toy, maybe some scarf or hat or something, & use her aura’s residue on the item to trace it back to the owner.”

Dick bit his lip. “I, uh, don’t have anything of hers.”

Zatanna nodded slowly. “Alright, that’s fine. I can do something else.” Zatanna picked up the cards she had shuffled a moment ago. “I’ll do a tarot reading. This will help me get a better feel of who you are as a spirit, & I’ll have a better connection to you when I try to locate her through your memories with her.”

Dick’s heart stopped for a brief moment. “What?”

She let out a small chuckle. “Yeah, everyone freaks out when they hear memories. It’s just part of the ritual, nothing I see will leave this room.”

Dick swallowed hard. “I suppose,” he mumbled.

Zatanna smiled. “I’m sure whatever I’ll see in you, I’ve seen worse in others.”

 _I doubt it,_ Dick thought to himself. He watched as Zatanna laid out ten cards in front of him. She looked up at Dick. “Alright, you’ll be picking out three cards. Pick the first.”

Dick looked at the ten cards. It was arranged in two rows, five in each row. The first card Dick picked was the fourth card on the second row. Zatanna slid it off the table and looked at it. She eyed the card for a moment, as if she was struggling to interpret the card. “Is this your first time doing this?” he asked.

Zatanna shook her head. “No, it’s just doing tarot readings isn’t my strongest suit.” She looked back down at the card then showed it to Dick. “Okay, this is a Hermit,” she said. It was a card that showed an old man in a cloak holding a staff & a lantern. “This card basically represents, well, a hermit. Someone who’s been on the move for so long, never staying in one spot for so long. Does that sound right?”

Dick nodded slowly, staring in awe. He was really impressed with the accuracy of the first card.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Zatanna asked softly. “I understand if you wouldn’t want to.”

Dick smiled weakly. “It’s fine,” he mumbled. “I, uh, grew up in a circus. I lived with them while we traveled to different cities. Here, Central City, Metropolis, Blüdhaven, all over the Eastern seaboard. Then I was in an orphanage for a few years. I was on the run, I went out of town for a bit too. Now I’m living with a billionaire who I really don’t trust.”

Zatanna kept quiet for a few moments. Dick closed his eyes. He hated this. Talking to people, trying to open up. Whenever he tried, it was always a mistake. Anyone he ever opened up to or trusted either ended up leaving him or using him.

“I’m sorry about your parents,” Zatanna finally said. Dick looked up at her with watery eyes. She gave a warm smile. “The orphanage...that must have been painful.”

Dick thought about when he first met Cheyenne. “Not all of it,” he said softly with a slight grin.

Zatanna’s small smile grew more. She nodded to the cards. “Pick another card.”

Dick looked down at the two rows & touched the first one on the first row. Zatanna slid it & held it up, showing it to Dick. “The Lovers,” she said. The card contained a naked man & woman with a mountain in the background & an angel hovering over the two. Zatanna continued to explain. “This card is a little vague in my opinion. It’s sometimes interpreted as a man & a woman in love. It could honestly be any sort of relationship, though. Maybe two siblings getting closer, a blossoming friendship, a father-son relationship. Whatever this relationship is, it might not even have come into your life yet.”

Dick pondered what she had said. He was under the impression the Lovers card would’ve been for him & Cheyenne at least. Dick scratched his neck. “Alright, so basically I’m going to have a significant relationship, whether it’s now or later?”

Zatanna set the card aside. “Yeah, pretty much,” she answered. She looked up at Dick. “Do you have any, um, significant relationship already?”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you mean.”

Zatanna smiled. “Oh my God, I’m asking if you have a girlfriend,” she said bluntly.

Dick let out an awkward chuckle. “Haha, um, no, I don’t.”

Zatanna winked at Dick. “You should.” She looked down in her lap. “I volunteer,” she mumbled softly.

Dick shook his head with a grin, feeling his face blush. “I figured you would have a boyfriend. I mean, look at you.”

Zatanna scoffed. “Right, because every teenage boy wants to date a girl who spends her afternoons cooped up in a vintage magic shop practicing the dark arts.”

Dick shook his head. “That shouldn’t be a deal breaker. People are so much more than what they do in their spare time.”

Zatanna nodded her head, smiling. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She gestured to the cards. “Pick another, hun,”

Dick looked at the cards & reached for the fifth card on the last row. Zatanna slid the card up & read it. She squinted at it with a raised eyebrow. “Okay,” she started. She flipped the card so Dick could see. It had what looked like a king in a red coat holding a sword in one hand & a scale in the other. The card was upside-down. “This is the Justice card reversed. Injustice. It may mean, in layman's terms, you’ve lived an unfair live, like you’ve endured unjustifiable things. Maybe you’re going to do something unjust.” Zatanna shook her head & shut her eyes. “Sorry, I’m really bad at this.”

Dick held a finger up. “Wait,” he started. He struggled to word his question carefully. “So, injustice...would that apply if you’ve maybe done something unjust in the PAST?”

Zatanna nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

Dick bit his lip. Hermit, Lovers, & Injustice. He was uncomfortable with those cards. Except for Lovers. He wanted that to be Cheyenne. He really wanted that to be Cheyenne.

Zatanna set the cards back up in a deck & laid them to the side of the table. “Alright, so that’s our tarot reading. When I enter your mind, I’ll be more able to do so more smoothly.”

Dick took a deep breath. He was still unsure whether he wanted someone to go into his mind, seeing his memories. That was if she wasn’t some con artist.

Zatanna slid the crystal ball towards the center of the round table. The crystal was completely clear, it almost shined like a fresh bubble blown from a bubble wand. The small stand in which the ball stood in was made of wood & shaped like a hand. Dick admired the the craftsmanship of the stand. Then again, it might’ve just been a store-bought prop.

Zatanna waved a hand over the crystal ball. “Okay, hold your hands over the ball, palms up,” she said.

Dick felt his heart beat hard. It was happening. He was going somewhere with this. He held his hands over the ball. Zatanna placed her hands on top of Dick’s. She stroked his palm a few times, smiling. “Soft hands,” she mumbled before grasping his hand in hers.

At first, she held his hands gently. Then she slowly squeezed tighter. Her eyes suddenly fluttered closed. Dick watched as Zatanna’s mouth began sifting slightly. It took him a while to realize that Zatanna was actually speaking. What she was saying, Dick couldn’t tell.

Dick felt his nervous heartbeat beat harder and faster. It felt unnatural. It felt like his body was screaming for help, like his body knew something was happening that wasn’t normal. His chest began to burn. His arms began to tense. Dick fought through it, though. He had been through worse than a chest burn and tense muscles.

Dick let out a roar in agonizing pain as his head was suddenly pained with shock, as if someone slammed a baseball bat into his head several times. It throbbed & felt like his mind was expanding, like a balloon about to explode. Dick continued to scream, but soon all sound was drained from his mind & all he heard was a silence & a long never ending beep.

Dick looked down at Zatanna. She still held onto his hands, but now she was more gripping, as if she were holding on for dear life. By the way her mouth moved, Dick could tell she was shouting at this point, whatever incantations she was shouting.

Through all the strange sensations through his body & mind, Dick could finally focus on what he thought was him feeling Zatanna in his mind. It felt as though something was making him remember certain things, like memories. Was this how Zatanna was supposed to find Cheyenne? He was still a bit unclear on the process. Was she just scanning through memories…?

Suddenly, the beeping sound that Dick heard in the silence disappeared along with Dick’s vision. 

* * *

 The first sign Dick had that he was alive was the return of sound. He heard a muffled voice speaking. Then he distinguished it as a man’s voice. Soon it became clear it was a shouting man’s voice. Then it became clear who’s voice it was.

“Who the hell gave YOU the right to do your voodoo shit on him?” shouted Roy.

“It’s my dad’s shop, asshole!” spat a woman’s voice, most likely Zatanna. “I knew what I was doing!”

“Clearly not, because you knocked him the fucked out!” Roy roared harshly

A few moments passed. Dick still couldn’t see, & he was unsure what was happening. He couldn’t feel anything, or smell at this point. He solely relied on his sense of hearing, & nobody spoke.

Suddenly Zatanna made a sound like a breath out of air. “He PASSED out. The whole thing worked. Dick’s spirit just went astray as I entered his mind.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Roy asked.

Suddenly light flooded Dick’s vision. Dick gasped heavily, struggling to take in a deep breath. He became able to feel & smell & see again. He saw the dim lights above him. He felt Zatanna kneeling over Dick’s body with Roy standing over him. He could smell the old odor of the shop. He was alive.

“Dick,” Zatanna said softly, then embraced him in a tight hug.

“Oh my god,” Roy mumbled to himself.

Dick pulled away from Zatanna & looked at her straight into her eyes. “What happened?” Dick asked.

“I made the connection with your mind, Dick,” Zatanna began to explain. “I was in your memories, searching for her. I found her, though. Cheyenne. She was with you when you grew up. I locked onto her spirit through your memory & located her in the city.”

Dick shook his head. “That’s great, really, I’m actually freaking thrilled, but...what happened to ME?” Dick asked.

Zatanna bit her lip. She held Dick’s hands in her own and squeezed tightly. “Your spirit went astray, Dick. Me going through your memories brought you to a state of limbo, but you fell too deep. That happens sometimes, but it’s almost never permanent.”

Dick looked at Zatanna’s eyes. They showed sincerity. Dick looked up at Roy’s. They showed distrust.

Dick looked back at Zatanna. “So...how much did you see?”

Zatanna stroked Dick’s forearm. “Only the morning you & her were playing with the swings, then she fell, & you ran to get her a band-aid,” she said, smiling softly.

Dick smiled to himself. He remembered that day. He was so scared for Cheyenne. He saw a lot of blood & thought she was going to die.

“How long was I out for?” Dick asked.

“Maybe 30 minutes,” Zatanna said.

“And you two didn’t think to call an ambulance?”

Roy stepped in. “And say what? That I sent my friend to a witch who delved into his subconscious & fucked him up?”

“Witch?” Zatanna spat.

“Oh, sorry, is that not the politically correct term for you people? I’m sorry, I meant bitch.”

“Oh, fuck you.”

Dick threw his hands up. “HEY!” he called out, silencing the bickering two. “Forget I asked, just shut up.” Dick looked up at Zatanna. “So where is Cheyenne?”

Zatanna bit her lip. “She’s in Chinatown in the Stevensburg area West of here.”

Dick nodded. He held up a hand towards Roy to help him up. “You know where that is?” Dick asked Roy.

Roy nodded. “Yeah, I do. Lemme get some cash from the bike to pay this chick.”

Dick watched Roy walk to the door. Once he opened it & walked out, Dick felt a hand on his arm. He looked back to see Zatanna with worried eyes.

“Dick, I don’t want you to go to Stevensburg,” Zatanna admitted in a soft voice.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Zatanna swallowed hard. She seemed to be shivering a slight bit. She was really afraid. “When feeling Cheyenne’s aura in the city, I felt...something else,” she said with a slight crack in her voice.

Dick shook his head. “‘Something else’, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Zatanna gripped Dick’s arm tightly. “Something evil.”

Dick stared blankly. “Is this your way of trying to freak me out, that way I’m convinced not to go to Chinatown because there’s nothing there?”

“What? No.”

“Okay, so Cheyenne really IS in Chinatown, & I DIDN’T just waste my time here.”

“Yes, no, she’s there, you didn’t waste your time.”

“Okay, well, I’m going to find Cheyenne, & that’s that.”

“Dick, there’s a demon where she is!” Zatanna cried. “You could die! Is she really worth the risk?”

Dick let the words sink in. A demon...that could easily go with the crazy story the Fosters had said about Cheyenne & the poltergeist. But this could all easily be bullshit. But no matter what, Dick needed to go see Cheyenne, whether there was danger or not.

“Yes,” Dick said. “She’s worth it.”

Zatanna looked at Dick in his eyes. “Cheyenne’s a lucky girl,” she said with a faint smile & glassy eyes.

Zatanna turned & walked back to her circular desk. She began searching for something. When she found it, she returned back to Dick & handed him a small card.

Dick took the card & read it. “‘Constantine Private Detective Services’?”

Zatanna nodded. “There’s a number with it. Call him when you get there.”

Dick looked back at the card. He slid it into his pocket when Roy walked back into the store with a wad of money in his hand.

“Alright,” Roy said as he approached Zatanna, thumbing through his money. “Giovanni made me pay $30 for the tarot reading & locator thing, so I assume it’s the same for you.”

Zatanna held a hand up and shook her head. “I wanted my first customer here to be free.”

“Oh,” Roy said softly, stuffing the cash back in his pocket. “Kinda wish I got to you first, now.”

Zatanna scoffed. “Yeah, no,” she mumbled.

Roy rolled his eyes. He turned to Dick. “Alright,  you ready?” he asked Dick.

Dick nodded. “Yeah, I think so.” Dick turned to Zatanna. “Thanks so much, Zatanna. Really, I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

Zatanna smiled. She went over to Dick & hugged him tight. “If things don’t work with you & Cheyenne, you should come visit me,” she said in a sensual tone.

Dick let out a laugh. “Hah, I don’t know,” he said.

Zatanna didn’t let go of Dick yet. She hugged him tighter and leaned her head against his neck. “Then call the number when you find her,” she whispered. “For me.”

Dick pulled back, looking at Zatanna. Her smile had faded. She was now dead serious. Dick turned away, walking to the door.

Roy followed behind Dick. When Dick reached the door, Zatanna called out. “Roy?” she said. Dick & Roy both turned back. “I’m sorry,” she said.

Roy stared at Zatanna. Dick watched the two. It seemed as if they were having a conversation just by staring at each other. Roy nodded, then rushed out the door. Dick looked back at Roy, then at Zatanna. She waved her hand weakly at Dick. “Good luck,” she said softly.

Dick nodded & walked out the door. He walked over to where Roy & the bikes were. Roy was already sitting on his, ready to leave. He wore his helmet on his head and was staring straight ahead with the engine running.

Dick swung his leg over the bike & turned on the ignition. He turned to Roy. “What was she sorry for, Roy?”

Roy stayed silent for a moment. Dick waited. Maybe he wouldn’t tell him. Dick didn’t expect him to. The two barely knew each other. Roy was helping Dick find a friend he didn’t even know, though. Maybe he’d let Dick comfort him, whatever it was that bothered him.

Roy flipped the visor of the helmet up & turned to Dick. “Nothing, yet,” he said over the engine. “Nothing...I hope.”


	11. Impossible

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick & Roy encounter three runaway teenage girls, each unique in their own special ways.

Dick slowed his bike to a stop next to Roy’s. The two got off their bikes and began walking down an alleyway. Dick grunted to himself, growing tired. He glanced up at the sky. It had gone from daylight when they left the psychic shop. They had spent most of the night searching Chinatown for any apartment buildings that was under Cheyenne’s name. Roy didn’t feel like Cheyenne would’ve used her own name to rent a place, but Dick was out of options. Roy had also pointed out that Cheyenne might not have even been able to rent a house. She may just have easily began living under a freeway. Dick refused to believe that as well. He didn’t want to believe Cheyenne had gone that low.

Dick surveyed the alley they had drove into. He walked a few steps behind Roy, noticing the fact that Roy walked as though he knew where he was going. “Why did you lead us here?” Dick asked.

Roy glanced back at Dick, but continued to walk ahead. “My older brother was a cop.”

“Was?” Dick repeated.

Roy shot Dick a glance then cleared his throat. “Is,” he corrected himself. “He patrolled in Metropolis, but sometimes they sent him here in Gotham.” Roy spun on his heel to face Dick, but now walked backwards. “When I was younger, I loved hearing about the different stories he had about his nights out. There was one he told me, it happened here in Gotham. My brother was out investigating a petty theft. Some kids had stolen a few cigarette packs, some sticks of beef jerky, some energy drinks, & a ton of bags of chips. Completely harmless, but to the corner store owner, a thief is a thief. They had my brother track down what seemed like the trail of the kids.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Was it their trail?” he asked, deeply interested with the story.

Roy bit his lip, struggling to find the right words. “I guess. All it turned out to be was four kids smoking pot in an alleyway. They matched the description given from the witness, they were taken to Juvie.”

Dick nodded. “Okay, so what was the point of this?”

Roy smiled. He had backed up next to a metal door. “The kids were runaways living in a big storage unit. Really big, big enough for, like, over 20 kids. It was in an alley under a neon sign with a dragon for a logo.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. He glanced back at the door, noticing the building it led into. It was tall, maybe two stories tall, if not more. Dick looked up at the top of the building across the one with the metal door. There was a bright red neon sign hanging above Dick. The sign, however, was a lion.

Dick looked back down at Roy, who then glanced back up, then down at his feet, embarrassed. “Guess I got that part wrong,” Roy mumbled.

Dick let out a chuckle. “Okay,” he started. “So you’re telling me that there’s a huge storage unit big enough for people to live in down this alley?” Dick asked, thumbing at the metal door.

Roy nodded. “Yeah, I feel like if any kid out on the run would hide anywhere, they would come here eventually.”

Dick turned back to the door. His heart began to beat heavily. This was another chance to finally find her again. “You think Cheyenne is here?” Dick asked softly.

Roy gave Dick a small smile. “Yeah, man, I think so.”

Dick looked down at himself. He had been wearing a black t-shirt with slim jeans that fit him a tiny bit snug & a pair of tennis shoes. All courtesy of Bruce Wayne’s hand-me-downs left in Dick’s closet. Dick sighed. He hadn’t exactly planned to dress to impress.

Dick walked over to the metal door. He hesitated before opening the door. He thought of all the things that could happen the moment he knocked on the door. Maybe nothing. Maybe no one was inside. Maybe someone else was. Maybe Cheyenne wasn’t in there, & Dick was wasting his time. Maybe she wasn’t in there, but someone else was, & they wouldn’t be friendly at all. Maybe they would shoot Dick as soon as they opened the door.

But maybe Cheyenne was in there. Maybe she would be the one to open the door. Maybe she would look at Dick & not recognize him. Maybe she wouldn’t even remember knowing Dick. Maybe she would. But maybe she wouldn’t want to remember him.

Dick took a deep breath. He calmed his nerves. He mumbled “Fuck it,” then knocked on the metal door three times.

At first, nothing happened. Dick & Roy waited for a response. A few moments had passed & Roy nudged Dick. “Try again,” he whispered.

Dick sighed. He knocked two more times. He was about to a third time, but then there was a loud metal clank from behind the door. Suddenly a metal slit opened up on the door. It was eye level to Dick. All Dick could see was a pair of dark shadowy eyes glaring back at him. “What?” said a girl’s voice.

Dick looked up at Roy, who nudged Dick once more. Dick cleared his throat and looked back at the eyes. “Uh, this is going to sound ridiculous, but my name is Dick Grayson. I’m looking for a girl named Cheyenne, maybe you know her?”

The girl’s eyes trailed down & back up at Dick. “And what makes you think I would know this girl?” The person’s voice was very monotone & a little hoarse. She sounded like a teenager who liked to scream, yet, her voice was quiet.

Dick shook his head. “I don’t know. She ran away from home a few years back. I figured she would be anywhere in Gotham. I had a friend tell me to check this general area for her. I know that some kids used to hide out in this building, so I thought I’d check here.”

“Who told you to check here?”

Roy cleared his throat. “I’m that friend, Roy,” he chimed in, speaking with a flirtatious tone.

The eyes glared at Roy, then back to Dick. “I might know a girl named Cheyenne,” the girl’s voice said. The slit was suddenly shut closed again.

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. A feeling washed over him. It was overwhelming. Dick didn’t know how to describe it. It was something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Dick wanted to call it hope.

After a few moments, there was another metal clank behind the door. The door slowly slid open. Light flooded out from within. Dick was blinded for a brief moment. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw the silhouette of a skinny girl in a gray baggy hoodie & tight jeans & boots. She wore the hood over her head, so it was difficult for Dick to see her face. She gestured for them to come inside.

Dick hesitated, but stepped forward. The inside of the building was huge. It was well over two stories, set as a warehouse with large catwalks along the roof & walls. There was stacks of crates in various sizes along the building, some a few feet tall & some as tall as 16 wheelers. There was a few couches laid around, a few futons & circular beds. There was a TV set up in front of a couch with several bean bag chairs & pillows & blankets laid out in front. Next to that area was also a fridge & a small dining table.

Dick looked at the hooded girl. “Wow, this is some setup.”

The hooded girl turned to face Dick. He could finally see her face clearly. She was pale skinned with dark eyes & dark lipstick. She came off as an emo kid. Her dark was dark black. It almost looked like blue when the light struck the hair from under the hood. She was actually really pretty.  “Thanks,” she said, halfheartedly.

Suddenly there was another set of steps coming from across the warehouse. Dick turned to find the source of the sound. Near one of the tall towers of creates was a set of metal stairs that led to a catwalk above. A girl was stepping down from it.

Dick took a step closer to get a better look at the girl approaching. She was tan with bright red hair & bright green eyes. She wore what looked like a tight silk purple one piece swimsuit that revealed a lot of bust. Her legs were long & completely exposed, leaving her feet bare. It made Dick uncomfortable, but he couldn’t help but notice. He thought of a goddess when he looked at her, they way she strutted in with pure confidence & sexuality. As she got closer, Dick looked away, feeling nervous. She was incredibly pretty. Was that Cheyenne?

“Oh look, we have guests!” the redhead said cheerfully. She spoke with proper annunciation, which caught Dick off guard.

The hooded girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah Kori, we do. So go & cover up,” she said harshly.

Kori looked down at herself. “But I am,” she said, looking back up with a confused stare.

The hooded girl groaned in annoyance. “Kori, put on your night robe, please!” she demanded.

Kori nodded & turned back around, going up the metal stairs. Dick found himself watching her leave from behind.

“Yeah, she’s got a great ass,” the hooded girl said. Dick turned to her, who was also watching Kori leave. “It’s a good thing too, because she’s stupid as shit.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Is she?”

The hooded girl shrugged. “No, more like slow. She’s, well, new in town.”

Dick nodded in understanding. He wanted to ask what they were waiting for. He wanted to know if she knew Cheyenne. He thought Kori was her at first. But clearly not. She didn’t look like her up close. Cheyenne’s eyes weren’t green.

Suddenly Dick heard some another set of footsteps approaching. Dick felt a little bit frustrated, knowing now that Cheyenne wasn’t there. However, when he turned to see Kori, it wasn’t her he saw, but another girl.

The girl walked a lot slower than Kori did. She had red hair, but it was more of an auburn color rather than the bright red Kori’s was. She wore a baggy white t-shirt & some basketball shorts. She was barefoot as well. She was a bit shorter than Kori was, & not as alluring and sexy, but she was definitely intriguing. She was much paler, & she looked more normal. More...human.

Dick stared at her, not looking away. The girl stared at Dick back, completely entranced. Dick silently hoped this was her.

The girl approached Dick slowly, eventually coming to stand right in front of him. He was a few inches taller than her, so he looked down at her while she looked up at him. Her eyes were a mix between orange & brown, like caramel. Dick watched her eyes glass over, as if they were beginning to tear up. Her chest rose up & down with each heavy breath she took. Dick felt his heart pound heavily. Dick never felt so many things in his life all at once. Hope, fear, nervousness, relief, confusion, love, regret. Dick felt overwhelmed.

The girl’s hand slid into Dick’s slowly. Her fingers interlocked with his. Dick looked down at their hands, then back into her eyes.

The girl smiled. “Dick,” she gasped.

* * *

Dick sat on a couch & watched as Cheyenne bent down in front of the fridge. He was tapping his foot rapidly. He looked back at Roy, who was sitting on another couch across the warehouse. Roy sat there awkwardly next to the hooded girl, who had neglected to mention her name still.

“Here,” Cheyenne said, handing Dick a beer.

Dick turned back from Roy & looked at the beer bottle, then up at Cheyenne. He scoffed. “Beer?”

Cheyenne slapped her forehead with her hand. “Duh, I should’ve offered soda.” She smiled at Dick. “I am SO sorry, I’m such a bitch.”

Dick laughed. “No, no, it’s fine,” he said. He reached for the bottle. As he wrapped his fingers around the neck of the bottle, they touched Cheyenne’s. He felt a small tingle in  his chest.

Cheyenne smiled at Dick & let go of his bottle. She sat down on a bean bag chair across the couch. Cheyenne took a sip from the beer.

Dick shook his head. “It’s weird seeing you drink beer.”

Cheyenne looked up at Dick, bottle in her mouth. She removed the bottle & wiped her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Dick waved her off. “No, it’s not a problem, it’s just…” Dick’s voice trailed off.

“It’s what?” Cheyenne asked.

Dick sighed. “I still see you as the little girl I grew up with.”

Cheyenne looked up at Dick, then looked down at her feet, smiling to herself. “Oh,” she said softly. She giggled to herself. “I get that. I still see the little boy I grew up with.” Cheyenne slid her foot across the floor & touched Dick’s foot with hers. “But we’re not little anymore,” she said softly.

Dick smiled, feeling his face grow warm. “No, we’re not.”

Cheyenne set her beer bottle on the floor and moved closer towards Dick. She took the beer bottle from his hands and placed it on the floor as well. Cheyenne moved up towards Dick, pressing close between his thighs. She wrapped her hands around Dick’s neck, then rose up, swinging her legs around Dick’s hips

Dick’s heart began to beat faster than ever before. He slid his hands down Cheyenne’s waist, gripping her tightly. He wanted to kiss her so badly. He hadn’t been with a girl in forever. In fact, after the orphanage, there was no other girl in Dick’s life. It had always been Cheyenne. And it still was.

Cheyenne brought her close face to Dick’s, as though she were about to kiss him. “Oh, Dick,” she breathed. Dick felt his eyes close, taking in the moment, then Cheyenne laughed.

Dick’s eyes shot open in confusion. Had he done something wrong? _Oh, shit, she could feel my wood,_ Dick thought to himself. Cheyenne calmed herself and pushed herself a small distance away from Dick. “I’m sorry,” Cheyenne apologized. “Do you still go by Dick? I mean, like, I grew up calling you that, but I remembered how your name is Richard, so I didn’t know if you changed it or something. It’d be embarrassing to try to be sexy & call you by another name, you know?”

Dick let out a chuckle. Cheyenne’s logic was always so amusing. “Uh, I go by both,” Dick answered. “To some adults, I go by Richard. To others, I go by Dick.”

Cheyenne smiled. She ran her hand through Dick’s hair. “Richard makes you sound a lot more older. More mature, more grown up. Apart from the actual word, Dick has a bit of innocence to it.”

Dick brought his hand up to Cheyenne’s & brought the hand down to his lips. He kissed her hand and closed his eyes. He nodded, letting her words sink in. He thought about Dick sounding more innocent. He was far from innocent, though.

Cheyenne removed her hand from Dick’s hair & swung her arm over the backrest of the couch. She nodded to the side. “So, who’s the Abercrombie model?”

Dick raised an eyebrow at her. “Who?” Dick was slightly embarrassed to ask what Abercrombie was.

Cheyenne laughed. “The guy you brought.”

“Oh, Roy!” Dick exclaimed, turning back at Roy. Roy glanced back and nodded, then turned back to the hooded girl. “He’s a friend of mine. He helped me find this place.”

Cheyenne nodded, shifting her position to face Dick directly. “Okay, that’s another thing. I need you to tell me how you found us, because I would’ve thought this was virtually impossible to discover.”

Dick bit his lip. He was afraid to answer that, to risk sounding like a stalker. “Promise you won’t freak out?” Dick asked. Cheyenne nodded in agreement. Dick took a deep breath. “I found your adoption records online. I had to break a few firewalls, but managed to find digital copies of them. That led me to your adoptive parents, the Fosters. They were, like, no help. But Roy suggested I try going to a psychic. She helped me narrow you down in this general area, & Roy happened to know about this storage unit that kids used to live in. So...here we are.”

Cheyenne watched Dick’s face for a moment. She was staring hard, as though she were trying to piece something together. “You…” Cheyenne trailed off. “You did a whole lot, Dick,” she said softly.

Dick shrugged. “I guess.”

“Why go through all this trouble to see me?”

Dick thought to himself. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was so dedicated to finding her. Half of it may have been that he just missed her. He thought to when he escaped Old Gotham. He wanted somewhere to go, somewhere safe. He thought of being with Cheyenne. He wanted a familiar face.

“Cheyenne,” Dick started, “after all that’s happened to me, you’re the only one I truly love. Everyone else I’ve loved is either dead or gone. I just wanted to know I still had you.”

Cheyenne smiled. She wrapped her arms around Dick & hugged him tight. He could feel his heart pounding hard against his chest. “I love you,” she whispered into Dick’s ear. Her breath tickled his skin a bit.

“I love you,” he whispered back into her ear. He squeezed her a little tighter, wanting to not stop holding her.

Cheyenne eventually pulled away and laid her head on Dick’s lap. She looked up at Dick. “So,” she started. “You, um...you met them?”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “The Fosters? Yeah, unfortunately.”

Cheyenne nodded slowly. “What did they say about me?” she asked softly.

Dick recalled the horrible things they said to him when he went to their house. _“She is NOT my daughter,”_ they said. “ _She is a monster. Pure evil!”_ Dick looked down at Cheyenne’s brightly colored eyes. He didn’t see her as any of that. “Nothing true,” he told her.

Cheyenne smiled weakly up at Dick. She ran her hand through his hair some more. “It probably was,” she said softly.

Dick shook his head. “No, those people are ungrateful & heartless old shits who don’t deserve to have someone so amazing as you in their lives.”

Cheyenne stayed quiet. Dick immediately wished he hadn’t said what he had said. Maybe it was a little harsh. These people still raised her for some of her life. They were still her parents.

Dick noticed Cheyenne wipe her eyes with her hands. She was beginning to cry. “They didn’t love me,” she said finally, choking back tears. “They adopted me, yet, they knew damn well I wasn’t their daughter. They treated me like a stranger. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because I was a bit older than what they wanted to adopt. Maybe it was because I was shy with them. I was always lonely. They should’ve made me feel loved & welcomed, though. I felt like an outcast with them.”

Dick held Cheyenne closer to him, pressing her body against his chest tight. Cheyenne’s tears rolled down her face, making Dick’s shirt feel a little soaked. Cheyenne’s heavy breathing rose & fell against Dick’s own breathing chest.

Cheyenne looked up at Dick. “They told you about the night I ran away, right?”

Dick looked down at Cheyenne. She was opening up about the incident the Fosters & Gordon had mentioned. He heard two sides to the story. Now he was about to hear Cheyenne’s side to it.

“Yeah,” Dick nodded. “The Fosters & the police told me.”

“Wait, the police?” Cheyenne asked.

Dick waved it off. “Yeah, but that was a misunderstanding that led to a whole other thing, disregard that.”

Cheyenne nodded. “Right. I guess they called the police that night.”

Dick looked down at Cheyenne. “The police told me that the Foster’s were mentally ill a bit.”

Cheyenne nodded. “They were,” she said. “But they aren’t liars. That’s the one admirable thing about them. They told me they grew tired of me, & they weren’t lying.”

Dick watched Cheyenne carefully. Her bottom lip trembled as she spoke. “Cheyenne,” Dick started softly, “the Fosters...what THEIR side of the story was…” Dick’s voice trailed off.

Cheyenne looked up at Dick. “They’re not liars,”  she repeated softly.

Dick slowly shook his head. There’s no way any of that was possible. Making things float, causing those neighborhood tremors. None of that made sense. It wasn’t possible.

Cheyenne shut her eyes. tight. Tears rolled down her face. Cheyenne turned her head down, away from Dick. Dick pulled Cheyenne back close to him, letting her head rest under his chin & neck. Cheyenne continued to stare down.

Dick closed his eyes. Cheyenne was troubled. She had an abusive childhood, her parents not showing her any remote sense of compassion towards her. It wasn’t her own fault. Dick wanted to do all he could now to make up for that. The love she should’ve been given...he was willing to give her.

Suddenly Dick felt something shift in front of him. Dick opened his eyes and glanced up. In front of him were the two beer bottles Cheyenne had set on the ground. They were floating.

Dick stared in pure awe. He blinked a few times, thinking it was a trick of the eye. They were still there in mid air. Dick wondered if he had fallen asleep at all throughout the day & was probably dreaming. Maybe Dick never woke up that morning. Maybe Roy never showed up to Wayne Manor. Maybe none of this was happening. It was all a dream.

Dick shook his head. No, this was real. It felt too vivid to not be real. Him holding Cheyenne...it was real.

Dick squeezed Cheyenne’s arm. Cheyenne didn’t look up. Cheyenne slowly lifted her arm, making one of the floating beer bottles slowly float over to her hand. She gripped it, then handed it to Dick. Her eyes never left the other beer bottle.

Dick stared down at Cheyenne, but took the beer bottle. He set it back down on the floor.

Cheyenne continued to stare at the remaining floating beer bottle. Suddenly, she shut her eyes and shook her head. The bottle fell to the ground, shattering. Dick squeezed Cheyenne tight when the bottle shattered. He glanced back at Roy & the hooded girl, who both glanced at at Dick. Dick threw a hand up. “It’s alright,” he shouted.

Dick touched Cheyenne’s chin softly & turned her face to him. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m a monster. A fucking monster.”

Dick held Cheyenne’s head & brought it close to him. “No,” he said. “You’re not. You’re not a monster. You have a gift.”

Cheyenne looked up at him. “No, it’s not. It’s a curse, it’s a burden, whatever. I almost destroyed my neighborhood when I was 13 years old. I almost killed my mother! Did she tell you about the knife that flew out at her? I’m a monster, Dick. I can’t be out there. Not like this.”

Dick stayed silent. He let her words soak in, attempting to consider the right thing to say. “Your parents...they were ignorant. They didn’t see you for the amazing girl that you are. They shamed you, disowned you, because they didn’t understand you. They were afraid of you.”

Cheyenne looked up at Dick. “Would you be afraid?”

Dick shook his head, smiling. “I’m still here.”

Relief washed over Cheyenne’s face. “Why are you still here?” she asked.

Dick looked away. He recalled all that had happened in the past four days. From escaping Old Gotham to learning about Nolan Drake’s potential threat to the city, Dick felt more & more obligated to find Cheyenne. He wanted to see her before anything else happened.

Dick took a deep breath. “Stuff happened after you left the orphanage,” he started. “Some bad stuff. Really bad stuff. Things no 14 year old should do. I had to run away. I left Mother Louise & the orphanage. I was on the streets. After a year of that, I found myself traveling down some abandoned subway. There was a kid there. He looked maybe 5. He came over to me & said hi. He asked me what my name was. I told him. He just kinda walked away. I followed him, & he was hiding behind an old vending machine. Then some other kid around my age came shouting his name. Turns out it was his big brother. They were playing hide & seek. The big brother told me to run away. I was stupid. I kept asking why.

“Suddenly, two other guys our age, maybe older, came with guns. They pointed them at us & forced us to go with them. So me, this dude & his little brother are walking, & I find myself in this underground city or something. Boys of all ages are everywhere. The Old Gotham subways were made into a little society, like Lord of the Flies or something. More like Children of the Corn, though.”

“Children of the Corn?” Cheyenne asked suddenly.

Dick sighed. “When the three of us walked into the boundary of little city, the guys with the guns started saying that the brothers had gone past their time limit. The older one said that they were being too hard on them, & they needed to cut the younger brother some slack.” Dick swallowed. He tried hard to not tear up. “The boys with guns shot the two brothers,” he choked. “Right in front of me, man.”

Cheyenne slowly reached for Dick’s hand and squeezed it tight. Dick continued. “I was stuck down there for a little over a year,” he said. “I found out later that the little brother was autistic. He had gotten lost while playing hide & seek, so the older brother had to find him, but once he did the little brother wanted to play again, thinking he had lost the game. He didn’t realize he had ACTUALLY got lost. So they played a second time. They were given 15 minutes to play. They took maybe 20.”

Cheyenne stayed silent. Dick watched her reaction to every bit of detail he gave her. “Who was in charge of how long they could play?”

Dick scoffed. “Nolan Drake,” he answered. “Some obnoxious asshole who thought he was king of the fucking world or something. Somehow, before I got there, he managed to climb his way to the top of the food chain. He was in control. He supplied guns for his teenage mercenaries, & if you were lucky, you found food too. People said he worked with crime lords for weapons trafficking.”

“How did you get out of there?” Cheyenne asked.

Dick shook his head. “I’m still not sure. Months of planning, a year’s worth of ass beating and beating asses. Pure luck. But I don’t think I’m completely out of it.”

“What makes you say that?”

Dick ran a hand through his hair. “This whole shit is catching up to me. One of Nolan Drake’s guys tipped me & the police off, saying Drake was planning something. ‘A citywide takeover,’ I was told. Nolan Drake is planning an attack on Gotham. I don’t know what to do.”

Cheyenne touched Dick’s cheek. “Dick, why would you have to do anything?”

Dick shook his head. “I don’t know. I feel like he’s my responsibility. Like a madman I let loose. I don’t know how to stop him though.”

“Then don’t, Dick. Let the police handle this.”

Dick let out a nervous chuckle. “I considered that, Cheyenne. I did. I thought, ‘Maybe I don’t have to do a damn thing.’ Because, I mean, I left Old Gotham. I escaped that hell. I earned my life back. I should be able to go anywhere, do whatever at this point. I’ve got a lot of cash saved up from cage fights down there. I could easily run away.”

Cheyenne looked at Dick with sorry eyes. “Dick,” she said softly.

“And I want you to come with me.”

Cheyenne’s eyes opened wide. “What?”

“Come with me, Cheyenne! We could leave Gotham, start over. Away from the people after me, away from the danger here. Somewhere where nobody knows our names.”

“Dick, I’m not leaving my friends.”

Dick stood up from the couch & gestured behind him. “Fine, we’ll take them with us, Cheyenne. That redhead Kori girl & the punk girl, I still never got her name, but I’ll take them with us.”

“And you’re still not getting my name,” the hooded girl called out.

Kori’s head popped up from over the railing up on the catwalk. “Where are we going?” she called curiously.

Roy stood up from where he sat. “Wait, what’s happening?”

Dick took Cheyenne’s hand & led her over to the center of the warehouse, where the other three followed. “We can leave town tonight. I know a guy in Metropolis, a good guy. Kent, he’s a reporter for the Daily Planet. He’s got a nice apartment, a nice wife, or girlfriend, I dunno, but if I talked to him-”

Cheyenne gripped Dick’s arm tightly. “Dick, listen to yourself. We’re not crashing with a stranger.”

“I’m already crashing with a stranger,” he grunted.

Roy stepped forward. “Dick, whatever it is that is making you wanna run, you don’t have to deal with this alone. You’ve got me, man.”

“I just met you, Roy.”

The hooded girl scoffed. “Yeah, I just met the two of you & I don’t feel the need to give a rat’s ass about either of you.”

“I will help in whatever way I can,” Kori said softly.

Roy continued. “What I’m saying is you’re not alone. You don’t need to run away. You can confront this, because we have your back.”

Dick shook his head. “We’re in danger if we stay in town. I don’t want to be the reason any of you wake up one day to hear a knock on your door & have a gun pointed in front of you.”

Just as Dick said that, there was three loud knocks at the door of the warehouse.

“Oh, that’s messed up,” Roy groaned. “So fucking messed up.”

“Are we expecting somebody?” Kori asked. Nobody answered.

The group stared at the door. “I’m not opening it,” the hooded girl mumbled. “I opened it for you guys.”

Cheyenne nodded to Roy. “Abercrombie, you open it.”

“Why the hell should I?”

“You’re bigger,” Cheyenne spat back.

Roy shook his head & thumbed to Dick next to him. “Nah, this guy has a better chance of kicking his ass than me.”

Dick shook his head. “Wow,” he mumbled.

The three girls & Roy all turned and stared at Dick. Dick turned to each of them and sighed. Dick walked over to the door, sealing in his fate.

Dick approached the metal door slowly. Dick thought of the different ways he could take down the threat that may be outside the door. If it was a man with a gun, Dick could perform a quick maneuver to the side, press his arm against the man’s elbow, breaking it. He could then take the gun.

Dick looked up at the door. He saw the slit where the hooded girl peeked out to see Dick & Roy. Dick reached for the slit, but then there was three more steady knocks at the door. Dick hesitated, but slid the slit open. Dick peered out to see a tall man wearing a tan trench coat. He wore a white button up, a loose t-shirt & dark slacks. His hair was dirty blonde & messy. He had a scruffy beard that showed he clearly didn’t take too much time to look his best. His eyes were red, as though he had no sleep.

“Oi, open the bloody door, mate,” said the man in a deep british accent.

Dick’s eyes opened wide in surprise. He was expecting somebody a bit more...threatening. More intimidating. This man seemed harmless. Just a bit crazy.

Dick turned to the group. “Anybody order a british bloke?” he joked. He turned to the slit in the door. “Who’s asking?” he said.

The british man rolled his eyes. “I was called to this address in regards to a threat in the area.”

Dick looked down with a raised eyebrow. “ A threat?” he asked himself.

Suddenly, the locks on the door shifted & the door swung opened. The man stepped inside, looking around the storage unit. “Cozy.”

“Why’d you let him in?” Cheyenne called.

Dick looked back with frightened eyes. “I didn’t.”

The man looked at the four kids standing in the center of the warehouse. “Oh, this will be interesting,” he said to himself.

Dick slowly walked around the man, who was taking his time approaching the group. Dick walked over to Cheyenne & grasped her hand, walking her back to the couch next to the fridge where they sat before. Kori backed away near the stairs that led up to the catwalk. Roy & the hooded girl walked over to the other set of couches to the right.

The man smiled and placed his hands behind his back. “Alright, kids. My name is John Constantine. I’m here to initiate the nightly security check.”

The kids looked at each other confusedly. None of them knew what was going on. Dick’s mind, however, rang as he struggled to remember who this man was.

Suddenly, Dick remembered the card Zatanna gave Dick. She had told him to call the number on the card once he had found Chinatown. Dick searched his pockets for the card. Once found, he pulled it out and began to read the card. “Um, Detective?” he called.

Constantine looked at Dick with a raised eyebrow. “Are you talking to me?” he asked.

Dick held the card up. “Well, that’s what your card says.”

Constantine walked over to Dick & snatched the card from his hand & read it closely. He groaned. “Damn, I forgot I made new ones.” He smiled “I had on here ‘Master of the Dark Arts’ last time.”

Dick shook his head. “Detective, I didn’t call you hear. None of us did.”

Constantine rolled his eyes. “Well, then who the bloody hell did?”

Cheyenne turned to Dick & placed her hands on her hips. “Yeah, Dick,” she added. “Who the bloody hell did?”

Dick bit his lip. He clenched his fists, suddenly regretting going to Giovanni’s. “A psychic named Zatanna.”

“Oh, that bitch called this guy here?” Roy called. “I fucking knew she was a mess to begin with. The old dude would’ve been better.”

“That witch knows where we live now?” the hooded girl growled.

Constantine let out a laugh. “Zatanna Zatarra, what a crazy piece of work, that one. I can’t believe I’m taking a case from her.” He began cracking his fingers and wrists. “Nonetheless, payment is payment. I’ve got to find weed out the humans among you from the non-humans.”

“Do metahumans count?” Cheyenne mumbled to herself. Dick looked over at Cheyenne curiously, who was avoiding eye contact.

Constantine brought his thumb up to his mouth and licked it. He held his thumb up in the air, as though he was feeling the wind. Suddenly he began walking over to Dick, thumb still up in the air.

Dick watched as Constantine approached him. Dick slowly backed away. “Dude,” he said softly. He held his hands up defensively. “You just licked your thumb, man, don’t touch me.”

Constantine got close enough to Dick that he now knew why his eyes were so red. He reeked of alcohol. He wasn’t sleepy. He was drunk.

This didn’t stop Constantine from placing his saliva-covered thumb onto Dick’s forehead. Dick groaned as he felt a suddenly pulsing feeling in his head, as though something were surging into his mind.

Constantine shook his head & removed the thumb. “Nothing of interest here, Circus Boy.”

Dick stared at Constantine in confusion “How the hell did you do that?” he asked.

Constantine ignored Dick & walked over to Cheyenne. Cheyenne stiffened, but accepted the thumb to her head. Dick watched as Cheyenne slowly closed her eyes, as if she were in a trance. Constantine didn’t leave his thumb on her any longer than he did on Dick. He removed his thumb and smiled. “Well, you’re extraordinary,” he said. “Whatever you are, I’d be careful, though. There’s a place where people like you go & don’t come back alive.”

Cheyenne shook her head. “Fuck you,” she grunted.

Constantine turned away. “And fuck you too,” he responded harshly. He began to make his way towards Kori, who stood there, unaware of the situation.

“What is this that you are doing that is evoking such fear amongst my friends?” Kori asked in what she thought was her demanding tone.

Constantine smiled. “Shush, gorgeous. Let daddy do his work.”

He pressed his thumb against Kori’s head, who stood there, staring up at the thumb on her forehead. Constantine hadn’t held his thumb up for more than a few seconds when he removed it fast, as though his thumb had been burnt. “Bloody hell,” he gasped. “I don’t know what you are, & I don’t even know if there is a place for you!”

Kori stared back at Constantine confusedly. “You seeped into my subconscious,” she said questioningly.

Constantine sighed, walking away from Kori. “Yes, sweetie, it’s called Soul Searching. I peer into the strongest memories within someone’s mind. The feelings evoked by the memories allow me to see the soul within you.”

Dick shook his head as Constantine explained this. It sounded ridiculous, just like the things Zatanna spoke of.

Constantine walked over to Roy & the hooded girl. “Alright, who’s next?”

Roy stepped back. “Nope, hell no, you’re not doing shit to my soul.”

The hooded girl looked back at Roy. “Aren’t you bold,” she mumbled in a monotone voice.

She turned back to Constantine, who made an approaching gesture with his hand. “Ladies first,” he said softly.

The girl clenched her fists & chin. She took a deep breath the approached Constantine.

Constantine brought his finger up to her forehead & pressed his thumb against it, just as he did to Dick & the others. Constantine’s back was turned to Dick, so he couldn’t see his face as he soul searched the girl. He could only see the way his body shifted & twitched as he had his thumb on her.

After a few long moments, he removed his hand, wiping it on his coat. “Sweety,” he started, “What’s your name?”

The girl looked up at him. She hesitated before speaking. “Rachel Roth,” she answered coldly.

John Constantine shook his head. “That’s not your name,” he responded. She kept quiet for a few more seconds. Constantine grew impatient. He slapped her across her face. “Tell me your real name, you stupid little bitch!”

“Raven!” she cried angrily. The lights began to flicker, as though there was a power outage. Dick looked up at the lights, then back at the girl. Her eyes began to darken.

Constantine looked up at the lights with a grin on his face. “Here we go,” he said to himself. He opened his coat and removed a small glass bottle. He unscrewed the top of the bottle and began to pour a clear liquid onto his palms. He began to massage the liquid between his palms, washing his hands with it.

“Don’t you ever feel gross?” he asked. “Like you need to rid yourself of germs? Maybe a few parasites in your life? The world is not only dark, cruel, & scary. It’s also bloody disgusting.”

Dick cleared his throat. “You licked your thumb & touched my forehead with it, I feel pretty disgusting myself. You mind passing that sanitizer over?”

Constantine looked over at Dic, screwing the cap onto the small bottle. He shoved it back into his coat pocket, grinning. “This isn’t sanitizer, mate.”

Constantine turned to Rachel slowly. He dropped his hands to his sides, & as he did so, his palms ignited, as though they had been lit on fire.

Rachel screamed as she threw her hands towards Constantine. As she did, what looked like purple beams of light shot out, hitting Constantine. He flew back & hit the back of the couch next to Dick & Cheyenne. Dick tossed himself at Cheyenne, bringing her to the ground, dodging the residue of the purple beam. As Constantine hit the couch, Dick could feel heat passing above him from the purple beam. The energy pulse could have killed him. It might have killed Constantine.

Cheyenne shoved Dick off of her & got on her knees, watching from behind the couch. Constantine suddenly stood up, hands still ablaze. He waved his hands towards Rachel, tossing a ball of flames at her. Rachel dodged it, jumping to the side. Roy fell to the ground as the ball almost hit him.

“Dick, get out of here!” he heard Cheyenne cry.  He sat up from the ground. “Take Abercrombie & get the hell out of here!”

Just as she said this, a green beam of light was shot down from above, hitting Constantine. He was brought down to his knees. He was screaming in agony. Dick looked up where the green light had come from. Kori was there, floating in midair, with green light emitting from her fists.

Dick looked across the unit. “Roy!” he called.

Just as he called his name, Roy had began to run to the door. Dick screamed his name over the sounds from the fight, but Roy wasn’t listening. He had already opened the metal door & ran out.

Dick turned to Cheyenne. “Fuck,” he grunted. “What can I do?”

Cheyenne turned to Dick with angry eyes. “We’ve got this, Dick! Get out of here before he hurts you!”

Dick clenched his fists. He didn’t want to leave Cheyenne. He couldn’t leave without doing what he could to protect her.

Dick looked up, seeing Constantine rising from the ground. He stood up fully, hands still lit on fire. He shot one ball of fire at Rachel, then another up at Kori. Rachel managed to deflect the ball with her energy pulsing fists, but Kori was hit. She fell to the ground.

Cheyenne swung her hands, & as she did, large wooden crates flew across the air, smashing against Constantine on impact. Constantine was still standing, & shot another ball of fire towards Cheyenne.

Dick jumped at Cheyenne, attempting to protect her from the attack. Suddenly, before he even made physical contact with her body, Dick was pushed back. He flew across the air, smashing through the wall of the unit.

When Dick hit the ground, the first thing he thought was how badly his back hurt. He felt like it had been broken. Dick struggled to stand up, but managed to do so. He looked around himself. He was thrown outside to the alley. Dick turned and saw Roy already sitting on his bike, revving the engine up. Dick rushed to his bike & turned the key in the ignition. The two began to drive down the alley.

Before they made it all the way down the alley, Dick heard another smash. Dick looked behind him and saw Constantine thrown out through the wall as well. His hands were on fire still. He turned and looked up at the neon dragon that hung above the alleyway. Constantine threw his hands upward, shooting not fire, but red energy towards the dragon. The dragon began to pulse with the red energy. It began to shake, slowly at first, then uncontrollably. The dragon broke off from the building & flew down into the storage unit.

Dick gasped and quickly turned his head, his mind racing with thoughts. He almost forgot to turn as they drove out of the alley and onto the street.

Dick sped up, following Roy as they raced down the dimly lit street. Images of the dragon & the fireballs & the energy beams shot through Dick’s mind. Dick’s mind trailed off onto Cheyenne, screaming at Dick. He cringed as he remembered her face, all twisted with hate & anger. Dick didn’t notice his bike slowly drift to the right.

Dick’s bike crashed into a street lamp, sending Dick flying down the street. The first thing to hit the ground was his shoulder. He felt a crack as he made impact. His body began to roll across, his face, arms & legs scraping against the concrete. Eventually, Dick’s body came to a stop right under another street lamp.

The light shining down on Dick made his eyes hurt & head throb. He cursed silently to himself. He heard another engine rev up close to Dick. The footsteps approached. Then Roy’s face appeared over him, blocking the light.

“Dude, are you okay?” he cried.

Dick let out a groan. He didn’t want to answer.

Roy shook his head and searched up & down his body. “Is anything broken?” he asked.

Dick closed his eyes, letting the pain all over his body flood his mind. His shoulder had cracked, Dick could feel that. He wasn’t sure he could move it. Dick’s back didn’t hurt as much as it did at first in the alley. Dick’s leg began to throb. It was the same one he hurt in Old Gotham.

“Sit me up,” Dick coughed.

Roy wrapped his arms around Dick’s chest & moved him closer to the street lamp. He set Dick against the pole. Dick let out another groan & flinched as his shoulder touched the pole.

Roy sat next to him, breathing heavily. “Holy fucking shit,” he said to himself. “Holy fucking shit.”

Dick sat there, breathing slowly and quietly. He felt his leg pulse. He counted each time it throbbed to himself.

Roy ran a hand through his hair. “Jesus Christ, man. What the hell was that back there?”

Dick kept quiet. He fought the urge. He fought it so hard. Harder than he ever fought a man. Harder than he fought his opponents in the cages. Harder than the physical pain he was feeling right now. But the urge was too strong.

Dick brought his hands to his face and began sobbing heavily. He cried into his hands, his groans muffled by his palms. He heaved with each breath & sob, feeling his shoulder ache.

“Oh, wait,” Roy said softly. “What?” he asked confusedly. “What’s happening?”

Dick removed his hands from his face. “We shouldn’t have left them there,” Dick said softly, through his heavy heaves. “Cheyenne, she’s my friend. We promised each other we’d always be there for each other. Then she moved & I grew crazy. I killed men, & killed more men, & now I’m back topside, & all hell is breaking loose, & all I can think of is saving Cheyenne. I should’ve taken her away from Gotham, away from everybody willing to hurt her. But I wasn’t fast enough. If we found her sooner, man. Maybe if I hadn’t passed out in Giovanni’s. Hell, maybe she would’ve agreed & we’d be halfway to the highway.”

Dick shook his head. “There’s no way she would’ve, though. She wouldn’t want to. Not the way she is. She’s...she’s fucking superpowered, man. Those other girls too. John Constantine was a fucking superpowered asshole. But that doesn’t make sense. How do these people have powers? Is that even a thing? Cheyenne mentioned ‘metahumans’ at one point. Constantine was looking for what Zatanna said was a ‘demon.’ He attacked Rachel. Was she a demon? There’s no way. That’s impossible, man. This was all impossible.”

Dick looked back at the direction they came from, back to where the storage unit was. “I don’t want to call them monsters, Roy, but...I don’t know what to make of that.” Tears began rolling down Dick’s eyes. “Especially Cheyenne. I love her so much, it hurts for me to even be afraid of her. The way she screamed at me, man. I’m pretty sure it was her that pushed me out of there. Threw me through the fucking wall. The girl I used to play outside with. The girl I used to call birds with. The girl I saw my first horror movie with. The girl who I used to hold whenever she was afraid. She threw me through a fucking wall. It’s not her who needs to be held anymore.”

Dick could see smoke rising up from down a few blocks down. Police sirens began to whine. Another tear rolled down Dick’s cheek.

Roy helped Dick up & walked him over to his bike. He sat him onto the seat and slid in front of Dick. “Hold onto me,” Roy said. He turned the ignition on the bike and drove.


	12. Hit Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick copes with the events from the previous night with an intense workout session with Bruce.

Dick stood in front of the punching bag of the workout gym & threw endless punches. He breathed heavily with each fist that impacted the hard surface.  _ One, two, three, four, _ Dick counted to himself. Dick felt the sweat drip from the pores of his body. His face, chest & fists were drenched in it. Dick felt his heart pound harder & harder. He pushed past his limit, past the pain. Past his shoulder.

Dick gasped. He stepped back from the swinging punching bag, still hopping on his toes. He ran a hand through his wet hair. He sat down on a bench against the wall & took a sip from his water bottle.

Bruce walked through the door to the gym. “Hey,” he said.

Dick looked up at Bruce, still sipping from the bottle. He nodded at him. “Hey.”

Bruce stuffed his hand in his pocket. “You’re up early.”

Dick nodded. “You’re right,” he said harshly, almost sarcastically.

“Hmm,” Bruce grunted. “Your shoulder feeling better?”

Dick shrugged. “Kinda,” he admitted. “Yukiko’s massages really help.”

Bruce nodded, grinning. “She’s pretty great,” he said dreamingly. Dick shook his head. Bruce continued. “You should probably cut back on these workouts, though.”

“Hah!” Dick let out obnoxiously. “No, thanks, Bruce, I’m good.”

“Dick, you shattered your shoulder blade.”

“It’s healing.”

Bruce stared at Dick. His face tightened in frustration. But Dick didn’t care. He reached down the bench for a towel and stood up, wiping his face. “Pain & gain, right?”

Bruce shook his head. “It’s been two weeks since that kid brought you into my home. Do you remember that night, Dick? He was carrying you. He fucking carried you like a wounded soldier. You left with him that morning to eat BREAKFAST with Roy. You were out all night long doing what? Getting into more trouble. First day I left you alone, you went out & got yourself arrested. Sure, that was a misunderstanding. But then Roy brought you here, & not a few hours later, Gordon came by saying he found a motorcycle in MY name near a crime scene. An explosion in Chinatown. What the fuck, Dick?”

Dick sat there silently, letting Bruce talk. Dick wasn’t ready to speak about it. Not yet. He tried hard to push the memory from his mind. He tried. But it wouldn’t fade. Just like his nightmares.

Bruce cleared his throat. “Gordon sends his regards,” he added softly. “He thinks this explosion may have been a gas leak...I don’t know.” Bruce at Dick, who didn’t look Bruce in the eye. “Does this have anything to do with that girl you’ve been wanting to find? Cheyenne Freemont?”

Dick looked up at Bruce. He fought the urge, & he was getting better at holding it back. “It did. But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

Bruce nodded, biting his lip. He kept quiet. Dick was grateful he hadn’t pressed on. Bruce at least knew when a discussion was to hard to continue with.

Bruce pulled his hand out from his pocket and held it out to Dick. He had a call phone in his hand. “Here,” he said.

Dick looked up at Bruce with a raised eyebrow. He was genuinely confused.

Bruce shook the phone. “Here,” he repeated. “You’ll be needing this now that you’ve proven to be an adventurous kid.”

Dick looked at the phone. “You bought this for me?”

Bruce nodded. “Yeah. It wasn’t a problem.”

Dick chuckled. “Clearly,” he mumbled. He walked over to Bruce & took the phone. He sat down on the bench, looking the phone over. He was a bit mesmerized by it.

Bruce shut his eyes tightly, as if just remembering something he wished he had earlier. “Um...do you know how to use one?” he asked. Dick looked up at Bruce confusedly. “I know how you were kinda isolated in Old Gotham for a while. I realized maybe the computer might’ve been hard for you to use. I guess this might be a problem too.

Dick shook his head. “I figured out the laptop. I’ll probably figure out this too.”

Bruce nodded. “Good.” He stepped towards Dick slowly, hands back in his suit pant pockets. “So have you thought about enrolling back into school?”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what?”

“It’s halfway through the first semester. You’ve got to start school soon.”

Halfway through the first semester. Dick had just realized he hadn’t been keeping track of time at all since before the night at Chinatown. After that, he took the time to glance at a calendar. Turns out the night at Chinatown was Halloween night. “Am I even going to have time to go to school?” Dick asked.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t you?”

_ Because Cheyenne Freemont, because Nolan Drake, because Gotham’s safety, _ he thought to himself. “I dunno. I don’t have any school records or anything.”

Bruce smiled. “Don’t worry, I have connections in the school district. I’ve already talked to people about getting you a spot in Gotham Academy.”

“Oh, fuck, is that a private school?”

Bruce nodded. "Yeah, I went there for high school."

Dick shook his head. "I'd rather be at a public school."

"Why?" Bruce asked. "Gotham Academy is nice, incredibly safe, & has tons of pretty girls."

Dick bit his lip. He didn't know how to word what he wanted to say correctly. He just let the words fly out. "I don't know if I'd be treated alright there, being the circus raised orphan boy adopted by Bruce freaking Wayne."

Bruce kept quiet. Dick felt as though he had hurt Bruce. He didn't care. His point got across. "Would kids at a public school be any different?" Bruce asked.

"I can handle kids there, rather than a private school built in safety."

Bruce shook his head. "Damn, that is some twisted logic." Dick simply grinned. Bruce eyed Dick, unsure whether or not he was serious. Dick wasn't even entirely sure. He half said it just to freak Bruce out. "Tell you what," Bruce said. "If you can make me tap out, I won't make you go to Gotham Academy. I make YOU tap, you go."

“What?” Dick asked confusedly.

Bruce began unbuttoning his suit shirt. “You say this ‘pain & gain’ thing has helped your shoulder heal. Let’s see if it really has & if it’ll help you kick my ass & kids in public schools.”

Dick laughed, setting the phone down. He stood from the bench. “Don’t push your luck, old man. I can kick a kid’s ass & yours.”

Bruce smiled, shrugging the suit shirt off, revealing a muscle tank tucked into his suit pants. It was tight, revealing his pectoral muscles & abs. His biceps flexed as he stretched his arms. “We’ll see.”

Dick walked close to Bruce & spread his legs apart, getting into fighting stance. He brought his fists up to guard his upper body, feeling almost excited to finally fight again. Then the realization that fighting made Dick happy frightened him. He pushed the thought out, clearing his mind.

Bruce brought his arms low near his stomach, keeping his palms open, as though he were about to slap box. “Well, come on then, Grayson. Hit me!”

Dick crossed his back leg over his front, stepping forward, then shot his front leg forward, kicking Bruce. He blocked Dick’s kick by slapping his foot away, then jumping up towards Dick, swinging his leg around to kick Dick.

Dick flew back to the ground, landing on his back. He groaned as he shifted to his shoulder, but bit his lip. He shot right back up & lunged at Bruce, throwing a punch at his face. Dick’s fist connected to Bruce’s eye.

Bruce stumbled back, but didn’t lose focus. Bruce shot punch after punch back at Dick, shouting with each attempt. Dick dodged each time, blocking a few punches that he slapped away. Dick found an opportunity & threw a front kick up into Bruce’s gut, causing him to double over. Dick then threw a punch down into Bruce’s face, causing him to fall to the ground.

Dick bent down low & flipped Bruce’s body over. He began chucking more punches into Bruce’s face, one after another after another. Dick let the punches fly, just like he would in the cages. But then it dawned on Dick that this was just Bruce.

Dick stopped punching Bruce & threw his body over Bruce, lifting Bruce’s leg up high. He bent it up far enough for Dick to know it hurt. Bruce began pounding his hand on the ground.

Dick sat up & looked down at Bruce. Bruce’s hair was messed up. His muscle tank was torn by the neck of the shirt. Bruce had a cut near his mouth where Dick punched him repeatedly. There was a bruise near his eye. Dick wondered how far he would’ve gone had he not restrained himself.

“Admit it,” Bruce said softly through a cough. “You loved hitting me.”

Dick bent low, giving Bruce a hand up. “You know how to fight,” he pointed out. “I don’t know how. But clearly you learned well. Better than me. So why’d you let me win?”

Bruce picked up his suit shirt & slung it over his shoulder, smiling. “You’re lucky it’s my day off,” he joked, completely ignoring his question. He wiped blood from his mouth.

Bruce walked over to the door. He turned back to Dick. “Think about where you want to study, Dick.” Bruce was about to walk away, then he turned back to Dick. “Oh, & if you want to talk about that Cheyenne girl, let me know. I know a thing or two about girls.”

Dick nodded slowly as Bruce walked out the door, out of the gym. Dick waited a few moments. He listened to his blood rush in his ears. He counted his heartbeats, taking his mind off of Cheyenne. Then he buried his face into his hands. His sobs were muffled.


	13. Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick has a number of visitors show up to the Manor while he tries to relax.

Dick sat in his bedroom, configuring his new cell phone. He had begun to get the hang of the way the cell phone worked. He had heard of people getting cell phones with touch screens when he was down below in Old Gotham. He never really thought much of them. While down there, he heard about loads of things. Pop culture didn’t exactly avoid the area. Everyone was still caught up with things. People would steal newspapers from up above & share the ongoing news with the kids.

Dick set the phone down & took a deep breath. He wondered what he’d do for the rest of the day. He wanted to avoid Bruce, for one. He didn’t want to look at him. He felt a little bit guilty for beating him so hard. He also kind of liked hitting him. It had been a while since he let off some steam. It felt especially good to hit Bruce, though.

But the way they fought, it half felt like Bruce wasn’t putting in 100%. Sure, he might have been holding back for Dick, since he’s still younger than Bruce. But through Bruce’s moves & technique, he clearly had training. Really good training. It made Dick question Bruce. CEO of a billion dollar company...with fighting skills. It was just odd.

Dick sat up from his bed & walked over to a door that led to a conjoining master bathroom. Dick walked inside & removed the tank top that he worked out in. He stood in front of the mirror over the sink. It was a large mirror that stretched across an entire wall of the bathroom. From the mirror Dick had a clear view of the large white porcelain bathtub next to a frameless shower.

Dick stared at himself for a few minutes in the mirror. “I don’t recognize myself,” he mumbled to himself. “I’ve definitely changed. Every now & then I have the feeling I’ve totally lost my mind. It’s a great feeling, though.”

Dick turned away from the mirror & stripped his jogger pants off. He stepped into the shower and began running the water. He let the hot water stream down his head, down his body and onto the shower floor. The air grew thick with hot steam, fogging up the glass door. Dick felt his skin slightly burn in the hot water. Dick didn’t care. He didn’t mind, as long as the water made it hard to tell he was crying.

Dick shut the water off after a while & stepped out of the shower. He began to dry his body off with a clean white towel. He wrapped the towel around his hip & stepped out of the bathroom, feeling the cold air rush into the steam filled bathroom. 

As he walked towards his dresser to get a new change of clothes, there was a knock at the door. Dick sighed softly. “Come in,” he said carelessly, focusing on what clothes he was about to put on. As he pulled out a pair of boxer briefs from one drawer, he hear someone at the door clear their throat. Dick turned, expecting Bruce or Alfred to be at the door. Instead, standing at Dick’s bedroom door, where he was wet & naked in a towel, was a girl with red hair & blue eyes. She looked like Dick’s age. She was wearing glasses & a private school uniform. She was carrying an over-the-shoulder bookbag. She had a hand over her eyes, as though she had already seen too much. “Shit, I’m sorry!” she called.

Dick felt his face grow warm in embarrassment. He rushed to slid the boxer briefs on under the towel & rushed to find another pair of pants. He found a pair of basketball shorts & slid those on. “Okay, um, I’m decent,” Dick said awkwardly as he tossed the towel onto his bed. He immediately didn’t like his decision & grabbed it, tossing it into the bathroom & shutting the door.

The girl uncovered her eyes, but didn’t move from the spot she stood at by the door. “Sorry, I didn’t realize this was your bedroom. If I did, I would’ve waited downstairs.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Dick admitted. “I just assumed you were the butler. I usually don’t have people come up to my room, so I got comfortable.”

The redhead smiled shyly. “Oh, well, Mr. Wayne sent me up here, but if people don’t normally come up here, maybe I should go back down & wait,” she said, almost sounding disappointed.

“No, no, no, it’s fine,” Dick called out. “Please, stay.”

The redhead shook her head, laughing. “You don’t even have a shirt on, still.”

Dick looked down at himself, realizing that she was right. He rushed over to his dresser & threw on a white t-shirt. He turned back to the girl. “Okay, NOW I’m decent,” Dick said with a charming smile.

The girl smiled back, walking over to the bed & setting her bookbag down. She sat down on the bed & crossed her legs in her navy plaid uniform skirt. “So, how do you want to do this?”

Dick couldn’t help but grin more. A few dirty thoughts crept into Dick’s mind. The redhead was incredibly attractive. Dick would go as far as to say a bit sexy. Yet, Dick couldn’t shake the feeling that he knew her from somewhere “How do you mean?” Dick asked.

The girl shrugged. “Well, I don’t know, I’ve never done this before, so I guess this is both our first times.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. No matter how he heard it, it sounded dirty. “You said Bruce invited you up here?” he asked.

The girl nodded. “Yeah, he’s a friend of my dad’s. He asked me to help his son get started with, like, some curriculums being done at Gotham Academy to help be caught up when he enrolls you.”

Dick shook his head. “Son of a bitch,” he groaned. He walked over to the door and peered down the hall, hoping to catch Bruce. He wasn’t anywhere down the hall, though. Dick sighed and pulled back into the room, closing the door behind him. “Alright, do me a favor and tell me what exactly Bruce said.”

The girl put her hands together on her lap nervously. “Um, well, yesterday I came home & my dad told me he got a call. It was Mr. Wayne, who he happens to be friends with. I wish I knew how. Probably through some city charity events, I don’t know. My dad said Mr. Wayne had adopted a son who he wanted to enroll into school, but he was out of town for a few years & needed to catch up on some basic schoolwork. He wanted me to tutor you.”

Dick sighed. He sat down on the bed next to the girl & looked at her. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. Then he suddenly remembered where he had seen her before. She was the pretty redhead at the coffee shop Dick went to with Roy.

Dick smiled. “I, uh, didn’t catch your name,” he said shyly.

The girl smiled back. “Barbara.”

Dick nodded. “And you’re Dick Grayson,” he heard Barbara say. “Mr. Wayne said you’re a good kid.”

Dick let out a scoff. “The guy doesn’t even know me. He has no right to be saying that.”

Barbara stared at Dick for a moment. Dick sighed. “Sorry, that was rude.” He turned to Barbara & looked at her in the eyes. “Listen, Barbara, Bruce meant well when he asked you to come over. He wants me to just get back into school. He’s right, I should. I just don’t think I really have time right now, though. I have to focus on something else right now, & I can’t afford to be distracted.”

Barbara nodded. “Sure, don’t worry,” she said with a weak smile. “I understand. You have things to do. I don’t want to keep you from that.”

Dick nodded. “Just temporarily. Once I sort out everything going on, I’ll definitely enroll.” He looked down at his hands, smiling. “Then you could tutor me.”

Barbara’s weak smile grew bigger. “Alright, great. Sounds good.” She stood up from the bed & halted her backpack over her shoulder. Dick noticed a small patch ironed on the backpack. Dick tried to make out the logo, but Barbara swung the backpack over her shoulder too fast. She was about to walk towards the door & turned on her heel to face Dick again. “What do I tell Bruce if he sees me come down?”

Dick thought for a moment. He grinned. “Tell him we’ll meet up next weekend at that coffee shop I saw you at the other day.”

Barbara smiled. Her face grew red. “I was hoping you’d remember me,” she said softly.

Dick nodded. “I don’t think I would’ve forgotten you,” he said with a charming grin.

Barbara walked backwards, looking back at Dick. She almost tripped on her own feet & regained her step, attempting to not look silly. Dick let out a mild laugh. Barbara’s face grew red. “Oh my gosh, that’s embarrassing.”

Dick shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’ll walk you out.”

Dick sat up from the bed, grabbed his cell phone, & led Barbara out of his bedroom & down the hall. As he did, he handed his cell phone to Barbara on the dial pad, asking for her number without saying a word. He walked her down the stairs towards the foyer of the front door. Before they reached the bottom step, Dick caught a glimpse of the patch of Barbara’s backpack. It was from Gotham Academy.

Dick walked Barbara across the the foyer to the door and opened the door for her. When he did, Roy stood on the other side of the door.

“Oh,” Roy said awkwardly, with his hand up, about to knock on the door.

Dick smiled. “Oh, hey Roy.” He turned to Barbara. “Barbara, this is Roy Harper. Roy, this is Barbara.”

Barbara smiled. “Hi,” she said before stepping outside. She turned back to Dick. “I’m going to hold you to that coffee,” she called from the front steps.

Dick smiled and waved. He turned to Roy & nodded. “What’s up, man?”

Roy shook his head. “Nothing.” Roy stepped passed Dick, inviting himself in.

Dick shut the door. “Did you wanna hang out today?”

Roy shrugged. “I came to check up on you.”

“I’m fine,” Dick assured. He nodded to the kitchen. “Want something to eat? Alfred made this great pizza.”

“Dick, I haven’t seen you in two weeks.”

Dick shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I’ve been recovering.”

“Oh, bullshit!” Roy waved to the door behind him. “You’ve been fooling around with school girls, haven’t you?”

“I just met her today,” he said.

“Okay, so you ARE a man whore.”

Dick squinted at Roy. “What the fuck is your problem?”

“TWO WEEKS!” Roy cried. He let out a frustrated moan & turned away, running his hand through his hair. He began to take deep breaths. He turned back to Dick. “Two fucking weeks since our worlds changed. You met a witch, you were reunited with your childhood love, & we were attacked by a fucking demon hunter all in one night. On top of THAT, you found out the stories about Cheyenne were true. She’s got powers, dude. All of them did. This changes everything. I can understand you’re shaken up by it all, but I was there too. I saw you passed out & your eyes glaze over, like you were gonna die. I saw that guy fucking conjure fire. I saw that one chick fly, then the other chick throw fucking plasma shit, & Cheyenne threw you across the warehouse. A neon lion came to life. I saw all that too.

“Dick, don’t act like you’re the only one fazed. I was too. I needed someone to talk to. We didn’t exactly have time that night. After that, I kept coming over asking for you. You kept sending Alfred to tell me to leave. Dick, I don’t have anyone else in this town. I really don’t. I needed a familiar face, man. You’re all I’ve got, & you disappeared when we needed each other the most.”

Dick sighed. The words stung with truth. Dick had been coping with everything horribly. He hadn’t handled it well. He hadn’t spoken to Bruce or Alfred about it. He talked to himself in front of the mirror, but there was no response back. No consoling. Nothing. Dick realized Roy was right. Roy was all Dick had.

“Familiar faces,” Dick said softly with a weak smile.

Roy let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, man, familiar faces.”

Dick began walking over to the kitchen, where Roy followed him. Dick went to the fridge and pulled two cans of cola soda & set them on an island in the middle of the kitchen. Dick sat down on one stool & Roy sat on the other. They cracked open their sodas & began sipping. “It’s not just the whole Constantine thing that’s been bugging me,” Dick admitted. “Did I ever mention Nolan Drake?”

Roy shook his head. Dick sighed and began explaining. He told Roy about him being out on the streets for a few years, & finding his way down into Old Gotham. He explained how he had become stuck down there & having to win his earnings to survive. He spoke of how he escaped Old Gotham with a bang, creating heat & bringing the GCPD to Old Gotham. He lastly mentioned how when Dick was brought into custody, he ran into an old acquaintance who knew Nolan Drake’s plans. He told Roy how he was now paranoid about what Drake could do.

“That’s why you wanted us to leave Gotham with you,” Roy said softly.

Dick nodded. “I wanted to at least save Cheyenne from this, from Nolan. She didn’t want to leave, though. I don’t know if I’ll ever get another chance to take her away with me.”

Roy bit his lip. Dick eyed him for a moment. Roy looked as though he were struggling to find the right words for whatever he was about to say. Then he spoke. “I went back to Chinatown yesterday,” he started. “Most of it had been burnt. The building is still up, but...it’s completely black, man. I couldn’t find anything. It’s all burnt ash now.”

Dick swallowed. The sound of the explosion echoed in his mind. “Why did you go back?”

“I was hoping I’d find them,” Roy answered. “Or maybe clues. I dunno. I just kinda miss them. Something about them. They were like a little band of misfits. Outsiders, really, since they were all kinda hiding from the world with their powers. I like them. I want to see them again.”

Dick nodded, somewhat agreeing with him. He felt like an outsider, just like the girls. Roy continued. “I want to find them, Dick. I’m not forcing you to help me, at least not until you feel ready for it. Take some time off, recuperate, & we’ll talk.”

Roy & Dick finished up their sodas. Dick then took his phone out & asked Roy for his number before he left. As Dick walked Roy to the door & let him outside, Dick noticed another figure walking from the front gate of the mansion towards the door. He was a few dozen meters away, & Dick couldn’t exactly make out who the figure was. The person was tall & skinny. Dick watched Roy hop onto his bike & speed off to the gate. He passed by the figure & kept going. Dick rested his good shoulder against the doorway, watching the figure make his way to the door.

“Master Grayson?” Alfred called from behind Dick. Dick turned to face Alfred. “Finally out of bed, are we?”

Dick smiled. “The hot redhead did the trick,” Dick admitted.

Alfred laughed. “Splendid,” he cheered. “Do remember to not let people in again. That’s my duty.”

Dick bit his lips. “Oh, right, okay. I’m just considering going for a walk. I think I will.” Dick reached the doorknob & began closing the door behind him. Dick turned back to the figure approaching him to the front door.

“Sweet pad,” Rodrick called out from the bottom of the stairs.

Dick almost snarled at the remark, stepping down the stairs fast. He rushed down towards Rodrick & threw a right fist into Rodrick’s jaw. Rodrick flew back, down onto the bottom steps. His head slammed against the concrete hard. Rodrick cried outloud.

“You stupid son of a bitch!” Dick growled. “What the hell are you doing here!”

“I need your help!” Rodrick whined, holding onto his broken jaw.

“With what?” Dick walked down the steps towards Rodrick. “For all I know, you’re serving as a spy for Drake!”

Rodrick struggle to stand up on his feet. “You know damn well I’m not, after what I told you at the GCPD.”

“Oh, your family?” Dick said. “Have the GCPD really found them, or are you lying about that too?”

“They haven’t told me a damn thing, Dick!” Rodrick bent down and lifted his left pant leg, revealing a metal bracelet around his ankle. “What they DID tell me is that they’re going to keep track of ME, make sure that I don’t go off plotting with Drake. It doesn’t even make sense.”

Dick looked down at the bracelet. “GCPD is tracking you?” he asked.

“Yeah, man.” Rodrick looked back down at the bracelet, as if still curious about the device. “I feel like they’re gonna use me as a spy for THEM. Probably get me back into Drake’s ranks & lead GCPD to him.”

“But you won’t,” Dick remarked snidely. “Because you’re probably still working with Drake.”

“You’re right, I won’t lead GCPD to Drake, but not because I’m working with him, but because they haven’t done jack shit for my mom & little sister.” Rodrick took a few steps forward, closer to Dick. “I have a few leads to go off of from Old Gotham. I’m going to go do what the GCPD was supposed to do & find my family. I need your help though. I can’t risk getting snagged by Drake. I need protection.”

Dick rolled his eyes and scoffed. “There are so many things wrong with this. Let GCPD find you if Nolan grabs you. It’ll lead them to Nolan & you’ll be safe. And there’s no way in HELL I’d risk MY life protecting YOU from Drake, when you may very well be screwing me over again.”

Rodrick sighed. “Help me do this, Dick. Help me find my mother & sister & I swear to God I will be forever in your debt. I’ll side with you & fight Nolan.”

Dick crossed his arms. “Am I supposed to just take your word for it?”

Rodrick shrugged and threw his arms up defensively. “You could. It’s all I can offer at this point, man. Nolan is prepared for a fucking siege. Nobody in town is prepared but us. There’s not much else you can do.”

“You could get out of town,” Dick suggested. “I figured you’d be the one to be halfway to Mexico by now.”

“I’m not leaving my family,” Rodrick said. He brought his leg up, showing the bracelet again. “Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

Rodrick set his foot down. “But that’s the difference between us, Dick. We have different drives. Different motivations. I’ve got my family I’m looking out for. From what I can tell about you, you’ve got not much else to lose. You lost your parents. You’ve lost your soul to the Devil himself in Old Gotham. You’ve lost your innocence. I’m sure here or there, you’ve lost a few friends. Maybe a girl. At this point, you’re clearly alone. I bet in that mansion you’re even more alone. So come on, Dick. What have you got to lose?”

Dick shook his head, not wanting to agree with anything Rodrick said. “So I have to just take a leap of faith with you & fight Drake?”

Rodrick nodded. “I am. The motherfucker threatened my family.”

In all that had happened, Dick didn’t feel comfortable in trusting Rodrick with his life. Dick didn’t even trust Rodrick with his money. But, sadly, Rodrick had a point. Dick had nothing else to lose. He needed to stand up against Nolan Drake. No one else could.

“He’s threatening my home,” Dick said in a low voice.

Rodrick nodded in agreement. “You & me both, brother. He’s got to fucking go.”

Dick nodded, then turned back to the mansion. Bruce & Alfred didn’t need to know where Dick was. He had been cooped up in his room for two weeks. It was good to stretch his legs. Go outside. Hunt a teenage maniac.

Dick began walking to the garage, where his fully repaired bike was waiting. “Tell me where we start looking first.”


	14. Silhouette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick accompanies Rodrick in a search for his family, when they're attacked by the vigilante of Gotham City.

Dick stopped the bike in front of an old apartment building. The building’s shadow covered the bike, hiding it from the moonlight. He sighed & turned to Rodrick, who sat on the bike behind Dick, still holding onto him with his arms wrapped around his waist. “Let go of me,” Dick grumbled.

Rodrick’s arms shot back to his sides. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I’ve just never ridden a motorcycle before. That shit’s crazy, man.”

Dick swung his leg up from the bike & stood up. “Okay, we’re here.”

Rodrick stumbled to get off of the bike. He regained his balance and stepped onto the curb. “You ready?”

Dick shrugged. “I have no idea. You just told me to GPS an address & drive there. I don’t know what this is.”

“Oh, it’s my home,” Rodrick said, stepping towards the building. He stopped and turned back to Dick, chuckling softly. “Huh. It’s been a while since I’ve said that. ‘Home.’”

“Old Gotham was home for a while,” Dick pointed out.

Rodrick nodded in agreement. “Hell is home.”

The two approached the front door of the old apartment building and opened it. It was dim lit with a desk in front of the small lobby. To the left was a metal wall of mail boxes for each resident. To the right was a bulletin board with pamphlets and newsletters of outdated city events.

Dick approached the desk & rang a rusty bell on the table. “Yo, is anybody here?”

“No,” Rodrick answered. “Nobody has been here since the night I left.”

Dick looked back at Rodrick. “You never did tell me how you came to Old Gotham.”

“You never asked.”

“Well, now I am.”

Rodrick looked at Dick & sighed. He began walking to the stairs behind the front desk, leading to the upper floors of the building. Dick followed behind. “Well, I was just angry,” Rodrick started. “I was walking home from school one day. I came home, went up these stairs & when I went through my front door, my mom starts bitching. ‘Where’s Tracy? Where the fuck is Tracy? You were supposed to pick her up from school!’ I said ‘No, you were supposed to get her. You said you’d fix the car yesterday & pick her up today.’ She goes nuts, saying I’m lying & I’m a jackass like my father. That pissed me off, especially since the cunt actually DID say she’d fix the car & pick up Tracy.

“Anyway, so it took me an hour after school to get home, another hour to go to Tracy’s school, & another hour to get back home. My mom was waiting three hours just so she could bitch at me some more. ‘You’re fucking useless, Rodrick. You’re a piece of shit, just like your father.’ Some more bullshit. I told her she was JUST as useless, dealing crack all day & night. She started hitting me. I fought back, defense & all. She cries out ‘You’re exactly like your dad! You HIT like your dad!’ I told her, ‘No I don’t, because you haven’t killed me yet.’ Then she gets this crazy eye & runs to the kitchen to look for a knife. At least, I think she’s looking for a knife. I heard metal clanking & shit. So I ran to my room & start emptying out my backpack of my notebooks & start packing clothes. Tracy is sitting on her bed with her knees up. ‘What’s wrong? Why is mommy crying? What are you doing? Are you going somewhere?’ After me not saying anything, she goes ‘You’re leaving.’ I told her that she needed to come with me. So I emptied HER backpack & filled it up with clothes too. I didn’t know where I’d take us, but I knew I needed to get us the hell out of there.

“I tried to sneak passed my mom with Tracy right behind, but my mom must’ve heard us. her head shot right from the other side of the kitchen, & she’s still got the crazed look. I grabbed Tracy’s hand tight & ran to the door. I swung it open, still holding onto Tracy, but my mom had grabbed her hand first. We played tug of war with my baby sister, me yelling as my mom is half pulling my sister back, half swinging a knife at me. I didn’t want my sister to get cut, so I let go, & my sister & mom fell back. I remember shouting ‘I’ll be back for you Tracy, I promise!’ Then I ran out of the house.

“After walking a few blocks down, I started hearing sirens. My mom called the cops on me. With what charges, I have no fucking clue. But I ran for what felt like forever. But then I found myself in an abandoned subway. I found Old Gotham. Things looked good at first. The boys invited me in politely, they had all their shops & little civilization looking shit set up. Nolan had asked to see me. We talked, I told him what happened, & I told him I wanted to go back to get my sister. He asked me where she was. I told him, hoping he’d help me. Maybe send someone with me to help get her. He pointed a gun at me, telling me that I had to leave my old life behind. That’s when it was all over. That’s when I knew I was fucked.”

Dick was in awe, feeling incredibly empathetic towards Rodrick. Rodrick didn’t seem like someone fazed by anything. It just goes to show that you don’t survive in Old Gotham without any sort of guise. Dick knew that. Apparently so did Rodrick.

After climbing 6 flights of stairs, Rodrick stepped down the hallway, followed by Dick. “I adjusted kind of quickly, I guess,” Rodrick continued. “After I realized what kind of sick hell Nolan had created, it didn’t feel much different than what it was like at home. I guess the only difference was in Old Gotham, I only had to look after myself. It was a little easier. But there still wasn’t a day that went by that I regretted not being able to take Tracy away from her sick hell.”

Dick stepped closer to Rodrick. “Tracy wouldn’t have survived there, man.”

Rodrick shook his head. “With me around, nobody would’ve laid a hand on my little princess,” Rodrick remarked with a tone of defiance.

Dick smiled, almost admiring Rodrick’s care for his little sister. Rodrick & Dick stopped in front of door 6B. Part of the B had fallen off the door at some point, making it look like a lower case B. The door was cracked slightly open. Rodrick took a deep breath before pushing the door open.

Dick followed behind Rodrick cautiously. The first room they stepped into was in front of a wall with a gap, revealing the kitchen behind it. Dick noticed the entire apartment being wrecked. The furniture had been tossed around & out of place. The seat cushions of the couch had been tossed around & ripped open. Some wooden tables had been smashed in half. There was broken glass around the living room to the left, along with glass pipes & bongs & beer bottles. There was a glass sliding door that led to a balcony. The glass door had been cracked, causing the moonlight from the night sky to shine through in a fractured ray.

“Shit,” Rodrick mumbled. He stood in between the living room & the hallway to the bedrooms, near the kitchen. He stretched his arms open & chuckled. “It literally doesn’t look much different.”

Dick let out a sigh. “It smells.”

“That’s the burnt meth & pot,” Rodrick said.

“Ew,” Dick mumbled.

“What, did you think I had fucking fragrant candles around here?”

Dick shrugged. “So what do you think?”

Rodrick scratched his bald head. “Honestly, I dunno. I know Drake’s men had their eye here. Drake could’ve easily had his men come in here & kill my family.”

“Damn,” Dick mumbled, unsure what to say. He watched Rodrick, eying his movements. He was half concerned for Rodrick, half untrusting of Rodrick.

Rodrick sighed. “I’ll go check the bedrooms.”

Dick watched Rodrick step into the dark hallway. After disappearing down into the black abyss, Rodrick yelped. “Fuck, something bit me!”

Dick tried hard to contain his laughter, but he ended up snorting. He calmed himself down and began surveying the kitchen. He stepped away from the living room & into the small kitchen. It was basically a fridge, stove & a microwave inside of one wall & a sink & dishwasher under the gap in the wall facing the front door. Dick looked into the sink. There was piles upon piles of unwashed dishes. A few cockroaches scuttled out from under the plates & up onto the kitchen counter. Dick stepped back, feeling disgusted by the sight. Dick glanced away from the sink towards the balcony. There was a silhouette on the balcony.

Dick got down on his knees & crept behind the stove, avoiding being seen. The figure was tall & entirely black. He looked as though he wore a long cloak over his body. His shoulders were broad and wide. His face was covered with something, like a mask. There was two sharp points emerging from the top of his head. Dick couldn’t tell if they were supposed to be ears like an animal or horns like a monster.

The figure slid the glass door open and stepped through. The figure walked through the living room. Glass crunched under the slow footsteps. The figure looked down at the ground, then kneeled down. The figure began examining the shattered glass pieces, removing them from the ground and holding them up in the moonlight to see clearly. Dick watched as the figure raised a hand toward their face. Suddenly, their eyes began to glow. The figure’s eyes shone like a white light. The eyes shone at the glass for a few moments, then the lights blinked off.

The figure stood up from the ground, dropping the shard of glass onto the ground, then began walking towards the center of the apartment. As the figure passed the kitchen, the looked down & saw Dick crouched on the ground.

“Shit,” Dick cursed under his breath.

The figure approached Dick & grabbed him by the wrist. Up close, Dick could see the figure’s black armor under his long black cloak. He wore a mask that covered everything but his mouth & chiseled chin. The figure dragged Dick out of the kitchen & into the light shining in the living room. Dick was too frazzled by the encounter to react.

The cloaked figure swung Dick around to face him and shook him by his shoulders ferociously. “What are you here?” the figure growled.

Dick stared up at the masked figure. He looked up & down the figure’s armor. He could make out an emblem on the chest of the arm. Dick made it out to be a bat.

Dick looked back up at the masked figure. “Oh, god,” he stuttered.

“Hey!” Rodrick called out from the doorway of the hall. He ran towards the masked figure, reaching down for a shard of glass on the ground, & lunged towards the stranger.

The masked figure slapped Rodrick’s armed hand, smacking the glass out of his hand, and bent his wrist in an angle, forcing Rodrick back against the wall with his hand bent behind his back. Rodrick screamed as he was pressed against the wall. He tried kicking & freeing himself from the stranger’s grip, but the masked man was bigger & stronger than him.

Dick watched as Rodrick struggled to escape the attacker. Dick looked down at the ground & noticed a wooden plank from a broken piece of furniture & ran towards it. He swung down to grab the plank & ran towards the masked man, whose back was towards Dick. He brought the plank down onto the attacker’s head. The plank broke apart as an explosion of wood, leaving almost no damage on the masked figure.

The masked figure turned back to Dick, still pressing Rodrick against the wall. Dick leaped up in the air and swung his leg out, but was countered when the masked figure grabbed Dick’s leg, throwing him off balance. Dick adjusted himself, setting himself back up on one foot. He then leaped up again, one leg still gripped by the masked figure, swinging the other leg up at the masked figure’s face. The masked figure doubled over, releasing Rodrick from his grasp.

“Dick, run!” Rodrick cried, reaching for Dick’s wrist. Before he made contact, Rodrick fell to the ground. A small blade stuck out from the back of his neck.

Dick looked back up at the masked figure, who stood in the corner of the apartment. Dick turned and ran to the front door. He was reaching for the doorknob when he felt something fly right past his hand, slicing into the metal doorknob.

Dick stared down at the doorknob, then turned back to face the masked figure. Within the few moments Dick had turned away, he had moved from the corner of the apartment to the center of the apartment, past Rodrick.

“What are you doing here?” the masked figure asked in a low gruff voice.

Dick stared back. He opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it. He was in shock. He felt as though he knew who the figure was, but he was afraid to say. He rounded up all the confidence he had left & spoke. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I asked first,” the masked figure replied, his voice indistinguishable.

Dick looked up & down the masked figure. He stepped closer to get a better look at the figure. He stepped slowly and cautiously, but with more ease. He knew the man would have killed Dick if he wanted to. He killed Rodrick without hesitation & threw a blade at Dick, barely missing him. The man needed Dick alive. He decided to take advantage of the man & try to ease some answers out of him.

“I heard stories about you,” Dick started. He began circling the man, who stood without shifting or turning. “A creature of the night. People used to cry about you. They were afraid of you. They thought you would kill them. The guy you just killed cried about it too, praying he’d never have to face you. I also heard things other than murder. I heard you’ve saved people. I found newspapers about you, even though I wasn’t allowed to read them. You saved people from fires, from muggings. You also busted drug lords & mafias. You took down all the inmates in Arkham when they had that one breach a few years ago. You’re like a myth, man. People fear you, & people love you. The creature of the night.”

Dick eventually circled back to face the man. He pointed at his head. “I can’t tell if those are ears or horns.” Dick then looked down at the man’s armor. He stepped closer to him & tapped the armored chest. “This is, like, military grade material or something.” Dick noticed a symbol on the man’s chest. “That looks like a bird,” Dick started. “I wanna say it’s a bird. Because if it is, then I know everything I just told you is wrong, & you’re not the person I thought you were. But if it’s not a bird, I’m fucking screwed & need to get the hell out of here.”

The masked man looked down at Dick. “Is it a bird?” he asked in a slightly softer, more humane voice.

Dick looked up at the man. Behind the masked, his eyes were darkened with facepaint. Dick took a deep breath. “It’s a bat,” he said. “It’s a fucking bat. You’re the Bat.”

The masked figure made the most slightest grin. “I’ve been called the Batman by a few.”

Dick walked around the Bat once more, taking more notice to his black cloak. “So I heard you can fly,” he said. “I assume this helps, huh?”

“It’s a military nylon material modified to withstand bullets, hot & cold temperatures, toxic chemicals, & can be used to paraglide,” the Bat said. “I’m still adapting it.”

Dick nodded, still making his way around the Bat. He gestured to the blade on the door. “So what the hell is that, then?”

“Batarang,” he answered.

Dick blinked. “Boomerang?”

“Batarang,” he repeated.

Dick shook his head. He stepped towards Rodrick. “And you killed him with one.”

The Bat kneeled down next to Rodrick’s body & removed the blade sticking out from behind his neck. No blood was spilt. “It’s a non-lethal batarang tipped with chloroform.”

Dick let out a chuckle. “I can’t fucking believe it,” he said. He kneeled down next to the body, taking the batarang from Batman’s hand. “I’m having a conversation with the fucking Bat.”

The Bat looked down at Dick. “Richard, what were you two doing here?”

Dick looked up at the Bat with a raised eyebrow. He stood up and backed away from him. “I never told you my name. Where did you hear that name?”

The Bat stood up & tapped his mask. “There’s a wireless video feed, it’s used for uploading and accessing data, police records, files, & in some cases, adoption records filed deep into the city archives.”

Dick stared at him. The Bat stood up & continued. “Richard Grayson, son of acrobats John & Mary Grayson. Orphaned at 8, ran away from the Gotham City Orphanage, & recently arrested for a breaking & entering in a home in the suburbs.”

“Yeah,” Dick mumbled.

The Bat went on. “You were also a suspect in a bombing in Old Gotham.”

“If you know that much, you know it wasn’t me,” Dick spat back.

“No, that was Nolan Drake.”

Dick stared back at him. “Okay, dude. You got me. You’ve interrogated me & cracked the case, Mr. Holmes.”

“No,” the Bat growled. “After that explosion, the GCPD attempted to raid the underground subway, but almost everyone managed to escape. These street kids are out on the loose, & their ringleader is prepping up a new plan. We have to find out what’s his next move.”

“We?”

“Yes, Dick, you & I.”

Dick scoffed. “Why the hell should I help you?”

“You tell me,” the Bat responded. “You escaped Old Gotham, you’re free from the accusations. Yet, you were here with this young man. Why?”

Dick sighed. He nodded to the limp body on the ground. “Rodrick, he was down there with me & Nolan. Nolan had Rodrick in the palm of his hand. He manipulated him, threatened his mother and sister’s life. Rodrick thought he’d be able to cooperate with the GCPD to have them put into police custody, but they haven’t done anything. So Rodrick & I tried to track them down here, but I guess Nolan’s guys already took them out.”

“You think they were murdered?” Batman asked.

Dick looked blankly at the masked man. “Well, yeah, am I right?” Dick began gesturing to the broken furniture. “Clearly there was a struggle. The blood stains show that there was a loser, & I think the woman & little girl lost.”

The Bat nodded. “What else?”

Dick looked back at the Bat with a raised eyebrow. He wanted more clues? “Um…” Dick started. He looked back at the door and stepped closer to it. He noticed the door wasn’t shut closed. Dick pushed it back, but the door slowly swung open still. Dick glanced at the doorknob, then at the doorway. There was a cracked split in the wooden frame. “The door was kicked in,” Dick noticed. “Forced entry.”

The Bat stepped closer to Dick. “Good job, Dr. Watson,” he said jokingly, his hoarse voice still low. “Can you fit the pieces together?”

Dick shrugged. “I dunno, I know the two were in this apartment. Apparently the men had been watching these two for a while.” Dick glanced out the glass balcony door. “Across the street is another building. I’m thinking there was a few men over there with a vantage point. They hid out there, & when called upon, they were sent up here. They busted through the door & beat the lady & her daughter to death. That could explain the damaged furniture & blood stains on the ground.”

The Bat nodded slowly. “Okay,” he said. “You’re wrong.”

“Wait, what?” Dick asked.

The Bat bent down to the ground. “Your entire theory would be valid except for one crucial detail.”

“What?”

The Bat looked up at Dick. “You said the police never made it up here?”

Dick shook his head. “No, otherwise there would be police tape & we would actually have evidence.”

The Bat nodded. “You’re right. If forensics came in, they could examine this blood which could tell two things: whose blood it is & how long it’s been here.”

“Sure,” Dick agreed. “Isn’t it the mom & girl’s blood?”

The Bat rose a hand to his temple. Suddenly his eyes began to glow through the mask. He shifted his head down. His shining eyes projected a small screen onto the ground. On it was a photo of two men with data & small information out to each side. It looked as though it were accessed through a computer screen. “This is Nikolai Yudkoff & Dimitri Rasnov. They’re Russian mercenaries that were found here breaking into the apartment, attempting to kill Janet & Tracy Farmer. This is their blood. It’s been here for only a few hours.”

Dick looked at the blood on the ground with wide eyes. He bent down and touched the stain with his index finger. “Damn,” he mumbled. “But that doesn’t make sense.”

The Bat nodded. “I got word from the GCPD that they were looking into sending a unit out here, but they never did. I began watching this apartment myself. Nothing was suspicious. Then tonight, two men drove up in a black van & raced up here. I snuck in right before anything happened. Dimitri kicked the door open, & I began to fight the two. I took them both out. Janet & little Tracy were so confused. They had no idea what was going on. I explained to them that they needed to get to the GCPD & brought them, along with the two men.”

“You took two limp Russian men & a woman & her daughter across town?”

“I have space in my vehicle.”

Dick fought hard not to chuckle. “Wow, what kind of car does the Bat drive?”

The Bat didn’t answer for a moment. He began walking to the sliding glass door. “Tell your friend what I told you when he wakes up.”

“Wait, you’re leaving?” Dick cried.

The Bat turned back to Dick. “I was only here because I doing surveillance, hoping to catch Nolan Drake here & now. Instead I found you two. Your friend’s mother & sister are safe, but this boy is still out there & is plotting something. I could genuinely use your help finding this guy.”

“Why me?”

“You’ve escaped Old Gotham. You’ve lived there. You’ve seen Drake manage the subway like a twisted clock. He had everything working in his own selfish ways. You know how it works the best.”

Dick scoffed. “You’d have a better shot knowing how Drake thinks with this dumbass,” Dick said, gesturing to Rodrick.

The Bat shook his head. He began to make his way back to the glass door. He opened the door and glanced back at Dick. “Stay away from this apartment. More may come back.” The Bat then spun around, his black cape swinging like a dark wave in the air. He leaped off of the railing of the balcony and jumped down.

“No!” Dick cried as he ran towards the balcony, almost stumbling on the flat ground. He threw his head over the railing, but saw nothing but the empty street down below.


	15. Hung

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick & Roy Harper are ambushed by Russians, led by the crime lord known as Oswald Cobblepot.

“One, two, three!” Roy grunted as he lifted Rodrick’s feet up, Dick carrying the arms. They stumbled and struggled to carry the body out of the apartment & down the stairs.

“Thanks again for coming on short notice, man,” Dick gasped.

Roy let out a low growl as he tripped walking backward down the stairs. He caught his balance. “Fuck you, man.”

The two continued to struggle. They made their way down the steps into the lobby, which was still empty. Roy shoved the front door open with Dick behind him. They stumbled out onto the street & laid Rodrick down onto the ground.

The two caught their breaths. “Dude,” DIck started, “when did the guy say he’d be here?”

Roy sighed. “I don’t know, man, like, 15 minutes?”

Dick nodded, still breathing heavily. “What do we tell the cabbie about him?” he asked, nodding to Rodrick.

Roy scoffed. “I thought you knew!”

Dick groaned & kicked his foot into the ground out of frustration. He snapped his fingers, suddenly catching an idea. “Okay dude, this is what’s gonna happen. You & me will act a little tipsy.”

“Tipsy.”

“Yeah, man, tipsy. You know, like, not too drunk, but-”

“I know what tipsy is, Dick.”

Dick nodded. “It’ll look like we came from some party. As far as anyone knows, Rodrick just knocked the fuck out.”

“He did knock the fuck out,” Roy finished just as a taxi pulled up next to the trio on the curb.

Roy reached over and opened the door to the back seat. “Aw, shit, dude, I totally fucked her so good!”

The taxi driver turned back in his eat. He was bald with a large black man with a thick beard. His eyes were wide with surprise. “Excuse me?” he called.

Dick bit his lip in anger, but went along with it. He slid into the back seat, carrying Rodrick behind him. He laid him down on his lap. “Oh, dude, I’m sorry, sir, we’re a little fucked up.”

“I can see that,” the taxi driver said.

Roy opened the passenger seat door. He sat next to the taxi driver. “Oh, man, what a night. Can you take me home, dude?”

“Where’s ‘home?’”

Roy let out a fake obnoxious laugh. He turned back to Dick. “Holy fuck, I forgot where I live!” Roy began crying in a melodramatic manor. “Oh

The taxi driver sighed and began driving down the road. “I’ll drive y’all anywhere if you promise not to make a mess with y’all’s throwup, understand?”

“Okay,” Roy said right after pretending to gag.

The taxi driver began yelling at Roy while driving. After a few moments, the driver turned his head to Roy to yell at him. He didn’t notice the two men walking from either side of the street with large machine guns pointed at them.

Suddenly, multiple loud bangs blew up, like firecrackers on the 4th of July. The taxi car was being shot at. The windshield exploded, shards of glass blowing into Dick’s face. Roy & the taxi driver were yelling as the world spun out of control outside the shattered windows. Dick held on to the door handle as the car began to rock from side to side. The car eventually flipped completely upside down.

Dick fell onto the roof of the car with Rodrick underneath him. His body hurt so much. It throbbed with a heavy painful pulse. He cursed his horrible luck & crawled out of the car.

He turned back and saw the taxi car’s engine ablazed. The driver was crawling out of the side window when one of the men shot his head. Blood splattered across Dick’s face. Dick laid still, not trying to move, not trying to gag from the man’s blood.

Dick laid his head sideways and saw the men approach Dick’s body. One of them kicked Dick’s stomach, realizing he was still alive, & shoved a bag over his head. Dick struggled, but was too weak. He let his world blink out of existence, into darkness.

* * *

 It took a while for the pain to register back into Dick’s mind. His stomach, his leg, his shoulder, it was all hurting in one sudden wave of pain. What made Dick feel even worse was that his body felt stretched out. He also felt the urge to vomit.

The world had still been blacked out. Dick couldn’t see a thing. He felt his arms hang high over his head. He heard footsteps echo towards him. Suddenly the bag was pulled off of Dick’s head, & the world had reappeared again. Everything was upside down.

In front of Dick was a large man in a black shirt & a leather jacket. He wore tattered jeans & boots. He resembled a typical evil henchmen, similar to those Dick had seen in comic books he read when he was younger. Around him was a large empty warehouse with tall pillars reaching down into the ground. Dick questioned the landscape & glanced down, realizing he was being hung upside down & that his feet were tied to a rope that was strung up to the roof.

“Which one are you?” the henchman said in a thick Russian accent.

Dick looked up at the man. “Excuse me?”

The Russian slapped Dick’s face. His cheek burned with this hit, but Dick fought the urge to retaliate. He was in no position to defend himself.

“You answer me when I ask question!” the Russian said. He kneeled down and removed a knife hidden between his ankle & his boot. He pointed the knife to Dick, then gestured to the left of Dick. “Which one are you?”

Dick glanced to the left and noticed two other bodies strung up next to him. They also had bags over their faces. The one closest wore a red hoodie.

Dick sighed. He turned back to the henchman. “I’m Dick Grayson.”

The henchman nodded. “Grayson,” he repeated. “My employer ask for Grayson & Farmer. Which is Farmer?”

“Probably the one farthest away to me.”

The henchman stood up and stuck his big hand into his pocket and removed a small piece of paper. The picture had two images printed in black & white. The Russian stepped over to the left & kneeled by the body farthest from Dick. He removed the back and stared into Rodricks face, who was still knocked out. He squinted down into the paper, then back up at Rodrick. He opened his eyes wide to the body next to Rodrick’s & pulled the bag off of his head, revealing Roy’s face. He slapped Roy’s face, who began to stir. “Who is this one!” the Russian roared.

“His name is Roy, he’s not the one you’re looking for!” Dick cried. “Leave him alone, he’s not in this.”

“OW!” Roy groaned. He stared at the Russian with furious eyes. “What the hell, man!”

Suddenly, another man emerged from the shadows. He was a large burly man with a scruffy beard & a buzz cut. “Are boys ready?” he asked in another thick Russian accent.

The first Russian turned back and nodded. “We have extra boy, now.” The second henchman approached the first. “He is not boy we need,” he pointed out, gesturing to Roy.

The second Russian nodded. He scratched his thick beard, pondering what to do with him. “Kill him?” he suggested.

“Oi!” called a deep British voice from the shadows. His feet clacked with every step, as though he wore dress shoes. Once he stepped closer, Dick could hear the British man grumble to himself, as though he were arguing with himself. The closer he got, the clearer his words became. “...bugger...imbecile...bloody buffoon...fucking kid…” Dick began to suspect that the man wasn’t mad at himself, but mad at someone else.

Finally, the tall man emerged from the shadow. He wore a skinny black suit with a dark purple vest underneath his blazer. He wore a top hat with a brim that was pulled low to cover his eyes. He was clean shaven with sunken cheekbones and a long, thin pointed nose. He held his hands behind his thin back. Dick couldn’t tell if that was just how he walked, or if he held something behind his back.

“Boss,” the second Russian called. “Can we murder extra boy?”

The suited man was still muttering under his breath. He approached the Russian & slowly rose his face up to him, & suddenly shouted “MOTHERFUCKING IMBECILE!” & swung a metal crowbar into the Russian’s face.

The Russian fell lifelessly onto the ground. Blood poured from his skull. His eyes stared blankly at Dick. The urge to vomit grew a tiny bit more, but he managed to fight it.

The suited man let out a loud howl. His mouth stretched to a large grin, revealing yellow, chipped teeth. It looked as though he had fangs. “Don’t they ever learn?”

The first Russian stood in front of the suited man, shaking in fear. “Sir, you kill my brother!”

The suited man turned to him & snarled. “I taught you & Yury better than that, haven’t I? What was the first thing I taught you, son? What was the first fucking thing!”

The Russian bowed his head, as though he was afraid to answer incorrectly. He itched his nose. “You say ‘No kill in Cobblepot turf,’” he answered, slowly backing away.

“DO NOT KILL ON MY MOTHERFUCKING TURF!” the man shouted, swinging the metal crowbar in the air. He threw it at the dead body on the ground, which stuck right out from the corpse’s skull, creating a cracking sound of the bone.

The man suddenly shot a glance towards Roy, who flinched from the eye contact. “I apologize, this man was a fool. He shouldn’t have suggested such a bloody ludacris idea.” He glanced at Dick, then back at Roy, then at Dick again. He stretched his arm out to the two. “I don’t think we’ve formally met. My name is Oswald Cobblepot.”

Dick looked at Roy, who raised an eyebrow. Dick looked back at Cobblepot. He hesitated, but nonetheless shook the madman’s hand. “I’ve never shook a dude’s hand upside down.”

Cobblepot smiled, revealing crooked fangs. “There’s a first time for everything.” Suddenly, Cobblepot removed a handgun concealed in his blazer & pointed it at Roy. “Now what the bloody hell happened to my boys!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Roy cried. “Don’t point it at me! I’m the extra guy, remember? I’m out of this! ‘No kill in Cobblepot turf!’”

With that, Cobblepot slapped the gun across Roy’s face, shutting him up. “I didn’t kill you because you’re leverage.” Cobblepot turned to Dick. “What the bloody hell did you do to my boys?”

Dick breathed slowly. He He needed to play this smart. Blood rushed to the top of his head, but he pushed passed the pain. He swallowed, thinking of the things to say to prolong Roy’s life. “I assume you’re talking about that Dmitri guy & the other one. Nicholas?”

“Nikolai,” Cobblepot answered.

“Nikolai,” Dick repeated, intentionally forgetting the name. “I heard they were watching an apartment building. A man & a woman?”

Cobblepot pointed the gun right beside Roy’s head & pulled the trigger. The sound rang in Dick’s ear, piercing his ear drum as though a knife were stabbing Dick’s brain. “I am not fucking playing games, boy!” Cobblepot roared.

Dick took a deep breath. He shut his eyes tight, fearing the very words coming from his mouth. “Ever hear of the Bat?” Dick asked softly.

“What?” Cobblepot asked. He stepped closer to Dick, not hearing him the first time.

Dick opened his eyes and stared into the manman’s blue eyes. He glanced at Roy, whose eyes were wide open in fear and confusion.

Dick sighed. He shook his head. “The Bat. I saw him earlier. I always thought he was a story, a myth. I’ve read newspapers about him, but I never thought the vigilante was real. But he’s real. He really his the one putting those criminals away. He’s very much real.”

Cobblepot stared into Dick’s eyes with a look that confused Dick. It felt like a look of understanding & caring, as though Cobblepot were concerned of him. It made Dick uncomfortable. “He frightens you, eh?” Cobblepot asked.

Dick hesitated before responding. “I...I don’t know,” he stammered. “In a way, yes. The stories I hear...sometimes he’s revered as a hero, which can be exciting, but...standing right in front of him, I felt an aura around him, like a smoke I couldn’t see passed. He seems...incredibly unpredictable. And...that scares me.”

Cobblepot nodded. “He scares me too, son. He’s an animal. A monster. He has no mercy. He’s worse than the underground crime world of Gotham. He’s the city’s personal defender, but also their own enemy.”

Dick looked away from Cobblepot, letting the words sink in. He tried to not let the words bother him, but for some reason, they did. He didn’t want to let the Batman be spoken of in such a disrespectful tone, but...maybe Cobblepot wasn’t wrong. Maybe the Batman really was just as bad as any other criminal. Dick couldn’t be certain. He didn’t know enough of the Bat.

“Tell me about what happened when you met him,” Cobblepot said.

Dick looked right back into Cobblepot’s eyes with a stern stare. “He was in Rodrick’s apartment, & he apprehended your men before we arrived. He told me he needed my help with what’s happening.”

“Ah,” Cobblepot grinned a sick grin. “I see, okay. You’ll be assisting the vigilante now, which is perfect. Because now you will be delivering intel on his plans to me.”

Dick turned to look at Roy, then back at the skinny man. “HAH!” Dick let out. “Fuck you, I’m not doing shit for you.”

Cobblepot shot up onto his feet & whipped his gun out, sticking it in Dick’s face. “Excuse me?”

Dick shook his head. “You can shoot me, I honestly don’t care at this point. I won’t help you or Nolan Drake.”

Cobblepot let out a loud howl. “Hahaha! Drake, that snobby little bastard!” Cobblepot shook his head. “Son, I’m not working with that incompetent and arrogant little fucker.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “You’re his supplier. I know that. You can’t lie to me about that.”

Cobblepot shrugged. “Yeah, I’ve given the kid a few thousand dollars worth of weapons, but that’s all part of my plan. Drake has this entire thing planned out where he seizes the city & becomes in charge. But, you see, he won’t have power without me. I’ll easily kill the bastard once he orchestrates his plan, & take over Gotham myself.”

Roy scoffed. “Dick, this guy just revealed his master plan to us.”

Cobblepot rolled his eyes. “‘Master plan.’ Bloody hell, it’s only business. Besides, is there anything you two kids are gonna do to stop Drake, or even me?”

Dick & Roy looked at each other. Cobblepot went on. “You two are in NO position to speak foolishly of me. I have YOU two locked in chains. YOU two are in MY turf, defenseless.” Cobblepot pointed the gun back at Dick.

Dick stared at the barrel of the gun in thought. He WAS in a bad spot. He was captured, & had no backup plan. He was about to be killed. But why hadn’t he been killed before, when he first woke up, or even before then? Why didn’t the Russians just do it? Or why hadn’t Cobblepot done it at first when given the chance?

“You can’t kill me,” Dick said softly, almost whispering. “You can’t kill on your turf. And even if you were to make us an exception, Drake doesn’t want me dead. Not yet, anyway. Otherwise I would already be dead.”

Cobblepot stared at Dick, then sat back, removing the gun from his face. “You’re not all bad,” he admitted. “You’ve got him all figured out.”

Cobblepot stood up & turned to the live Russian, who had made his way towards a few wooden crates, more than 20 ft. tall. “Oi,” Cobblepot called. “Bring me a chair!”  The Russian did as commanded. He came back to Cobblepot with a fold-out chair & laid it out for him. Cobblepot sat down and crossed his legs & arms. “I can’t kill you buggers without Drake’s word. So I’ll just wait for him to come.”

“Or wait on me,” echoed a familiar low voice.

Suddenly the chair had been pulled from underneath Cobblepot, who fell right onto the ground. The chair disappeared into the shadows, & just as Cobblepot began to stand up, it swung back around, knocking Cobblepot off his feet.

The Russian pulled out a gun from underneath his shirt & waistband and pointed it towards the shadows in front of Dick. He slowly crept towards his fallen employer, who just laid on the ground, moaning. He had fallen right onto his face after hit by the chair. He nose was bleeding.

The Russian took slow steps, aiming the gun at nothingness. He shivered in fear, his arms shaking the gun uncontrollably. The Russian suddenly turned around, as though hearing someone approach from behind him. He shook still, in fear, & swung his arms around, shooting on impulse. The bang echoed in the large empty warehouse. The Russian breathed took deep heavy breaths, as though each one were his last.

Suddenly a large black shadow reached down from the dark ceiling above & swallowed the Russian. Just as fast as it appeared, the shadow rose up into the ceiling, the Russian’s legs swinging from above, his screams muffled.

“Oh, God,” Dick whispered to himself.

“Holy shit,” Roy yelped to himself. “Holy fucking shit, oh shit, oh fucking shit!”

Suddenly the shadow dropped back down onto the ground, enveloping Cobblepot’s body. The shadow rose a fist, then pounded it down on Cobblepot’s head. A loud boom echoed, with a quiet crack underneath it all.

The shadow rose up fast & almost floated to Dick & Roy. It was hard to tell at first, but even upside down, Dick could recognize the armor of the Batman.

“Come on, Grayson,” the Batman mumbled in his low hoarse voice. “Couldn’t manage to stay out of trouble tonight?”

“Fuck you,” Dick snarled. “Get me out of here, dude.”

The Bat removed a Batarang from his utility belt & pressed the center with his gloved thumb. One of the winged tips began to glow red, as though it were metal being crafted by a blacksmith. “Here,” the Bat said, handing Dick the blade. “Take this & cut the iron.”

Dick reached to grab it, but the Bat turned and left so fast that Dick couldn’t grab onto the blade quick enough. It fell onto the ground. Dick groaned as his arms hung limp to the ground.

“You fucking idiot,” Roy mumbled.

Dick looked up and watched as the Batman ran towards the darkness. There was a murmur of talk, as though there were other goons awaiting the Batman. Suddenly shots were fired & echoed into the lobby which Dick & Roy were stuck in.

“We gotta move fast,” Dick concluded.

Dick stretched his arm down to reach for the heated Batarang. He caught it in between his fingers, but it slipped out of his hand once Dick attempted to stretch back up to his ankles. He tried again & again until Roy let out a frustrated groan.

“For fuck’s sake, slide that shit over here!”

Dick sighed and used his index finger to push the blade towards Roy. With his long arms, he caught the Batarang with ease & stretched up to his chained ankles. He pressed the red hot end of the Batarang blade onto the metal chains. The chains began to slowly brighten. Then they began to slowly heat, then they melted.

Roy fell to the ground, the impact echoing the warehouse. Roy rushed onto his feet and yanked Dick’s ankle chains towards him, slicing the metal with the Batarang. Dick could feel gravity slowly pulling him to the ground, as though he were a drop of dew slowly flowing down a leaf.

Suddenly Dick dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He landed on his bad shoulder, then rolled onto his side. He struggled, but leaped onto his feet.

Roy was looking for an exit when Dick called his name. “What the fuck, cut Rodrick loose!”

Roy groaned and ran back to Rodrick, who was still hanging unconsciously. Roy mumbled curses at Rodrick, then turned back to Dick while cutting the metal with the Batarang. “Didn’t I meet this kid at your house?”

Dick shrugged. “I dunno, dude, maybe. When you left my place, he was there.” Dick turned back to the direction the Bat had ran off two, hoping he would be able to hold off Cobblepot’s men.

Before Dick could even open his mouth to warn Roy, men emerged from the shadows, guns ready. The Bat followed suit, attacking any men in his way. Few managed to make it towards Dick & Roy.

“Fuck,” Roy grumbled. He hadn’t managed to cut Rodrick completely loose. The chain was sizzling with heat. Roy stepped towards the oncoming group of men & chucked the Batarang at one of them. The blade stuck right into one man’s neck, blood oozing from underneath his chin and onto his clothing. He clawed at his neck, then dropped onto the ground, lifelessly.

Dick rushed towards a man who had a pistol pointed at him. A flash brought Dick back to the confrontation with Nolan in Old Gotham, but Dick’s mind was still aware of the current threat. Dick rushed towards the man, pushing the outstretched arm up into the air. Dick brought his leg in & pushed outward, releasing a strong front kick into the man’s stomach. The man fell back, his grip on the gun weakening. Dick snatched it from his hand & turned around.

Roy was a few feet away from Dick, fighting off the men. He threw heavy punches into men’s faces, high kicks into other men’s chests. One man approached Roy from behind with a baseball bat in hand, but Dick whipped out the gun & shot towards the goon’s hand. Roy spun around, catching the man stepping back, checking his hand for a wound. Roy grabbed the man’s neck with one hand and slowly lifted him up. The man was high above Roy, with his legs swinging & his voice struggling to cry out. Roy almost snarled like an animal, then threw the man a few dozen feet away from Roy.

“Whoa,” Dick said under his breath. He turned behind him and saw the Batman still fighting off his foes.

“GO!” The Bat roared as his pushed back a man, readying himself for another attack.

Dick bit his lip, half not wanting to leave him. He shook the gun in his hand, wanting to use it. Could he have really fight all those men on his own?

“Dick, let’s fucking go!” Roy called.

Dick turned his back to the Bat & followed Roy towards an exit in the corner of the warehouse towards the left. Their footsteps echoed like raindrops on top of a thin roof. The sounds from the fight grew quieter & quieter as the two ran, leaving the Batman to fight the dozens of men. Gunshots rang in the room. Dick fought hard not to run back.

When Dick & Roy ran through a door with a lit exit sign, they were welcomed into a parking lot by four large boys, roughly older than Dick. One of which was Nolan Drake.

The moment the two made eye contact felt as though time had been frozen. Dick stared at Nolan’s eyes, which stared back, & it seemed to be a moment that lasted eternity. Dick’s heart pounded heavily. Feelings rushed to his head. From shock to confusion to a brief moment of utter fear & finally, to a everlasting hatred. When Dick saw Nolan’s eyes, they seemed to expand in perplexion, then they popped out in anger, but slowly they began to relax. A grin grew over Nolan’s face, as though he had been starving with bloodlust & had just spotted a deer in the headlights.

The moment ended. Without hesitation, Dick rose his arm and pointed it to Nolan and pulled the trigger.

The heavy recoil made Dick’s arm sway a bit, the bullet flying elsewhere. Nolan ducked, fearing the aim was accurate. Roy rushed right passed a tall muscular boy & tackled him as though they were playing high school football. He pushed passed Nolan was well, pushing him onto the ground.

Dick, being smaller and possibly faster, ran right over the fallen boys. Dick followed Roy out into the maze of parked cars, keeping his head low, & running with his life on the line.

“Where do we go?” Roy hissed, stopping behind a large van. “Where’s the gate?”

Dick pressed his back against the van & peeked over the hood of the car. He spotted one of the large boys stomping right towards the van.

Dick whipped right back behind the van & faced front, breathing hard. He squeezed the gun in his hand, ready to use it. Dick suddenly noticed a loud humming noise. “What the…?”

A large black vehicle the size of a tank emerged from over the parking lot gates. It had large wheels that resembled those of a monster truck, with the entire body of the car hanging low & flat. It shone bright headlights that almost blinded Dick. The engine roared like a lion defending its territory from enemy predators. A loud whirring noise echoed, growing higher into a high pitch noise that almost pierced Dick’s eardrum. A long cannon emerged from the top of the car from a hatch & rotated towards Dick’s direction.

Dick acted on instinct & leaped towards Roy on his right, pushing him out of the way the cannon was aimed. They were pressed against the gate on the side of the parking lot, then there was a loud boom. Dick shut his eyes tight, half worried a grenade had been tossed. Dick slowly opened his eyes and saw the van Dick had been hiding behind. It was on fire, with a large boy on the ground, screaming in agony as his body blazed.

Dick grabbed Roy’s arm & led him away from the flaming car, still following the gate’s path towards the broken gate where the tank was. “If we get closer to that thing, it can’t shoot us!”

Roy nodded and followed suit. Nolan’s men had begun firing at the tank, but the cannon had suddenly became an automatic gun & shot at the men. Cars exploded, men fell & bled, & screams traveled all around the parking lot. Dick could hear Nolan cursing his name.

Dick watched as the men continued to charge at the tank with bullets flying. He raised his hand, aiming his gun at who he thought was Nolan. _Die now, & Gotham will have one less madman, _Dick thought to himself. Suddenly Dick felt a warmth fall on his back. He turned and looked up at the tank. A bright red laser light shone down at Dick & traced down his body, then back up. Finally, the light blinked off.

Dick turned to Roy, who was looking up at the tank. _“Friendly identified: Richard Grayson,”_ announced an automated female voice from the tank. Suddenly a hatch on the side of the tank opened.

Dick turned and looked at Roy, who stared back blankly. He sniffled, then crawled straight into the hatch.

Dick groaned and looked back at the battle taking place in front of him. Dick spotted Nolan emerging from behind a car with a gun pointed towards Dick.

“Fuck!” Dick cried, then turned and stumbled into the hatch of the tank.

As he disappeared into the tank, Dick emerged into what he thought was the future. A black light lit up the inside of the tank, with dark blue & purple holographic screens all around. The right side was the back of the tank, which had seats with shelves over the seats containing advanced weapons, from rifles & guns to staffs, batons & hand to hand combat weapons. Dick turned to the left side, which was the head of the tank, where Roy had already began to buckle himself in the seat.

Dick stepped up to the driver’s seat next to Roy. He sat down and scanned the panel in front of him. The holographic display showed a clear digital view of directly in front of the tank. Dick could see the men shooting at the tank. Dick could also feel & hear the entire tank shake as the cannon boomed with every shot it took at the men.

“How do you drive this thing?” Dick asked himself. He looked down & saw a round disc protruding from the panel. Dick slowly lifted his hands to touch it.

_“I’m sorry, this vehicle is under autopilot drive control. Please refrain from switching to manual drive control.”_

Dick raised an eyebrow and stared at the screen. “What the hell?”

Roy shook his head. “This thing didn’t have a driver,” he started. “So it’s working on its own. That’s some advanced tech, dude.”

Dick watched the screen. More holographic men began to suddenly appear from different directions, all making their way to the tank & attacking it.

Dick shut his eyes as the banging sound against the vehicle began to ring on the inside. Was this the end? Would he die in this machine?

“Fuck it,” Dick grumbled & reached for the wheel. He turned in a full 360 degree rotation. The vehicle began to turn in place, guns still shooting back at the men.

_“Do you wish to begin your route to your destination?”_

“Where is that?” Roy asked.

“YES!” Dick cried.

In that instant, the vehicle began to move. It backed up against the fence it previously drove over. It drove off onto the road & sped off in a surprisingly fast speed.

“Whoa, there,” Dick mumbled.

“Dude, what makes you think that this is a good idea?” Roy said. “This could’ve easily been a trap, & we fell right into it!”

Dick shook his head. “We needed to get out of there, there was too many men,” Dick explained. “We have a better chance getting away in this, then hiding out somewhere for a few hours.

“Oh, what, so you think you can just park giant black monster truck in a garage & no one will notice?”

Dick clenched his jaw, not wanting to continue the fight with Roy. Dick looked down at the holographic display of the road. There was oncoming traffic, but the speedy tank managed to maneuver every car with great ease. “What the hell is this thing?” Dick asked to himself.

They had driven for roughly ten minutes. Suddenly, Roy tapped Dick’s shoulder. “How do we know we’re not being tailed?”

Dick sighed. “I really don’t know,” Dick answered truthfully. “Maybe they are. But I would think that they would be shooting at us.”

Roy nodded. “I guess so,” he said in agreement. He propped his feet up on the dashboard, his feet causing the digital hologram to disintegrate by his touch. He leaned back and laid his hands behind his head. “Let me know if we die,” he said softly.


	16. Blood on Olympus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick & Roy make it to their destination, where Dick suddenly raises suspicions about who Roy really is.

Dick stared at the holographic screen until he recognized the streets well enough. After a moment of not identifying the landscape, Dick sighed and stood up from his seat. He walked to the hatch & stared at it. He wasn’t sure how to open it. He was let in when he was scanned. Maybe something needed to scan him again?

Dick surveyed the walls, hoping to find some sort of activation panel, or keypad, or button. He had no idea what he was looking for. “Am I a prisoner now?” Dick mumbled to himself.

_ “No,” _ said the vehicle’s interface.  _ “There is a hand scanner on the podium to the left of you.” _

Dick looked down to his left to find, in fact, a podium with a hand scanner. Dick sighed in annoyance. He placed his hand on the scanner, & after a brief moment, the hatched opened.

Dick called back to Roy. “Hey, we’re not dead,” Dick simply said, then stepped out of the hatch.

Dick found himself in a loading bay of some building. He looked up to find that the building was what he assumed was more than 50 stories tall. Dick whistled in amazement and searched the area to figure out where he was.

Dick looked down at a metal trash can next to him. He noticed a flyer sticking halfway out of the can. Dick slid the flyer out of the can & read it. It was a brochure for the Olympus Hotel, one of Maximilian Zeus’ luxurious properties he owned in Gotham.

Dick looked up at the building. “Olympus,” he mumbled to himself.

Roy slowly stepped out of the vehicle. “Oh, wow,” he said. “Our hi-tech GPS took us to a hotel.”

Dick shook his head. “Is this a set up?” Dick asked himself. “Nolan might be waiting for us somewhere.”

Suddenly, static emerged from the inside of the vehicle. Through the digital chatter, Dick could make out a voice. He stepped closer to the vehicle, then a voice finally came through, echoing from the inside of the tank.  _ “RICHARD!”  _ said a low, digitized voice.

Dick turned back to Roy, who raised an eyebrow dumbfoundedly. Dick turned back to the hatch. “Um...Batman?”

_ “Good, you made it safely,”  _ Batman said. He said it with a sigh of relief.  _ “You were taken to a hotel, correct?” _

“Yeah, Olympus,” Dick answered.

_ “Alright, you will go in & ask for a room under the name of Daniel Barnes.” _

“Who’s Daniel Barnes?” Dick asked.

_ “Nobody, it’s a cover name.” _

“Is this your Batmobile?” Roy spat out.

The radio signal which Batman spoke through cut off, leaving only static. After a brief moment, the static silenced, with the hatch finally closing on the vehicle. The vehicle’s engine then roared, coming to life. The tank slowly rolled backwards out of the loading bay and towards the front of the hotel. It finally sped away, into the traffic of the night.

Dick sighed. “Daniel Barnes,” he repeated.

Roy sniffed. “Well, let’s get going.”

The boys walked into the glamorous hotel only to be blinded by the bright light resembling a sun hanging from the chandelier. Dick tried to look down, only to still be blinded by the reflection of the artificial sun through the glossy marble floor.

Roy had already begun to make his way to the reservation desk. Dick bit his lip, paranoid of being caught alone in the hotel. Dick was sure that Nolan Drake would find him.

Dick turned and noticed a large gift shop. Dick quickly made his way and disappeared in the maze of tacky tee shirts.

Dick stumbled into a rack of sunglasses. Dick glanced at it for a brief moment, then snatched one from the rack. He rushed over to the counter, dropping the sunglasses in front of the clerk & pulling out a wallet Bruce had given to Dick. Dick removed a dollar bill, only to realize it was another hundred dollar bill.

Dick groaned. He looked up at the clerk who grinned. “Don’t worry, I have change,” the clerk admitted.

Dick purchased the shades & instantly placed them over his eyes. As Dick passed by the doors, he noticed a small mirror in front of a clothing rack. Dick looked at himself in the mirror. His black tee shirt & jeans didn’t match well with the black & green shades he had grabbed, but they would have to do.

Dick cautiously walked out of the gift shop, surveying for suspicious activity. Dick could feel his heart pounding heavily. His palms began to sweat. He hated the feeling of nervousness. He hated the paranoia. The constant fear that at any moment, Nolan could have Dick killed. He had men, soldiers, mercenaries, all at his disposal, thanks to one Oswald Cobblepot.

Cobblepot said that he wasn’t working with Drake. He wanted to kill Drake once he seized the city. He was using Drake, like a pawn in a chess game. Dick grinned to himself. This was good. This was very good.

If Dick could find a way to reveal Cobblepot’s plans to Nolan, Nolan would have to retaliate before Cobblepot could even make a move. Nolan would have to kill Cobblepot. By doing so, Nolan would have nobody to rely on for finances, or for access to the black market. Their business would be terminated, & Nolan would be weakened.

“Hey!” Roy called, grabbing Dick’s attention. Dick appreciated that Roy hadn’t called out his name, in case they were really being followed. Dick walked over to Roy, would had swung his hood over his head. They both quietly walked towards an elevator & stepped inside.

When the doors closed, Dick turned to Roy. “The name worked?” he asked.

Roy nodded. He held up a keycard. “Yep, room 6021.”

Dick nodded, breathing a breath of relief.

Roy was smirking. “What the hell is up with those disgusting glasses?”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Shut up,” Dick mumbled.

The elevator music quietly played as the two rose up through the building to the 60th floor. Once the doors opened to the dinging noise of the elevator, the two stepped out. In front of them was a wide view of Gotham’s skyline through the sparkling glass windows.

Dick felt breathless with this sight. He had never seen the city from a overhead view. The city was vast, like an urban kingdom with downtown being the castle. And Dick was the king. Royal.

“Come on,” Roy called, breaking Dick from his trance. They walked down the halls of the hotel, passing red doorways. It seemed to go on infinitely, with almost no turns. The halls were curved in such a subtle way that you almost couldn’t sense the architectural design. Finally, the two came across room 6021.

Roy slid the keycard through the gold lock on the door. The lock beeped & the red light turned green. Roy turned the long door handle & pushed the door open with ease.

Dick followed Roy into the suite, which was bright like gold with a beautiful glass wall, revealing the night sky & Gotham below. The modern styled furniture had been polished & clean. The three sofas in the center of the room were bright white, forming a square that faced a large flat screen tv, which was installed on a white pillar that had a fireplace at the very bottom. To the right was a kitchen, & to the left, Dick assumed was the bedroom.

“Wow,” Dick whispered with a slight grin on his face.

Roy stood for a moment with his hands on his hips. He took a brief moment to think, then walked straight into the kitchen & opened the fridge.

Dick rolled his eyes. He took a seat on one of the white couches. “So what’s the plan?” Dick called.

“Are you kidding me?” Roy said, head still buried in the fridge. “You’re asking ME? No, dude, no. YOU called me, telling me to get off my ass & help you move your little dipshit of a friend out of an apartment halfway across town. YOU got me tied up by the mafia. YOU got me shot at.”

“Isn’t this what you signed up for?” Dick called back from the couch. “You told me you’d help me with-”

“I said I’d help you find Cheyenne!” Roy shouted from the kitchen, rising his head from the fridge finally. “I helped with find that psychic who led us to Cheyenne & her hot friends. I didn’t expect there to be a British pyromaniac out to kill us. I didn’t know what I was walking into. But now I do. But with these guys, Dick, with Rodrick & Nolan & Cobblepot, I don’t know what they’re capable of! For all I know, they might have more magical hitmen on our asses! Maybe worse! I don’t know, anything is possible at this point!”

Dick bit his bottom lip, fighting back his anger. He wanted to say something. He wasn’t sure what. But he knew if he spoke now, SOMETHING would come out his mouth. He didn’t know what. So he stayed silent.

“I want to help you find Cheyenne,” Roy said calmly. “That’s it at this point.”

Dick shook his head. “Fine. I guess. I need to take a piss.”

Dick stood up & walked to the left, behind the fireplace. There was two doors. One was closed towards the right. One was left slightly ajar to the left. Dick walked to the half open door. When Dick walked in, he switched on the light, revealing another freshly polished luxury room. The bathtub was bright & shiny. The glass shower was dry & elegant. The toilet had a set of neatly folded towels, with the toilet seat left open. Dick looked down at the sink to his right…

“Blood?”

Dick stepped to the counter and stared at the red marks in the sink bowl. They looked as though they were dripped onto the white surface.

“Roy?” Dick called from the bathroom.

Dick waited as Roy finally came to the bathroom, holding a beer can in his hand. “Yeah?”

“There’s blood in this…” Dick trailed off, turning to Roy & noticing his drink. “Where did you get that?”

Roy shrugged. “It was in the fridge,” he simply said, taking slurping a sip.

Dick stared at Roy. He shoved right passed Roy, shaking his head.

Roy scoffed. “What the hell, man?”

“Hotels don’t offer beer in their fridges, Roy. Someone was here.” Dick made his way through the living room & towards the door when Roy called his name.

“Dick, calm down, wait!”

Dick had his hand at the door handle when he turned back to Roy. “We need to go!”

“No, dude, stop, no one is coming,” he said. “This is my room.”

Dick blinked, then rose an eyebrow. “What?”

Roy sighed. “When I came into town, I booked into this hotel. This is my room. I didn’t think we should go into whatever room that Bat guy told us to. We don’t know him. We can’t trust him.”

Dick let this sink in. It seemed valid. Roy had a point. They didn’t know anything about the Bat. They shouldn’t be so quick to jump & do what he says without consideration. Roy had made a safe call.

“So is that blood yours?” Dick asked.

Roy shook his head slowly. “No, my brother cut his finger the other night. He was cutting carrots or something, & slit his thumb I think.”

“Oh, so your brother is in town too still?”

Roy nodded. “Yeah, he must be out right now, though.”

Dick slowly nodded back, taking all of this in. He felt his panicky heart beat slower.

“So you can calm down, Dick, & let go of the door,” Roy finally said. “Take a sit, have a drink, & relax. I’m sure Cobblepot & Drake won’t find us here. Like, at all, dude.”

Dick sighed. He walked over to the couch & slumped down, staring at the fireplace with a lingering concern on his mind. He reached into his pocket and removed his phone. Roy sat beside Dick as he looked at the time. It was 11:32 PM.

“I’m surprised Bruce hasn’t called,” Dick said to himself.

Roy took a sip from his beer. “Do you want me to call a cab?”

Dick turned to Roy, to stared back. They both let out a subtle chuckle, shaking their heads.

“I’ll have Alfred get me,” Dick mumbled. “Just gotta make sure he doesn’t snitch on me to Bruce.”

Roy let out a chuckle, then took another sip from his beer.

Minutes passed once Dick called Alfred, mentioning to keep Dick’s whereabouts in the dark from Bruce. Then it felt like hours passed. Dick had fallen asleep when a knock at the door woke him up.

Dick shifted on the couch he laid on. He reached for his phone that had fallen on the floor and looked at the time. It was 3:17 AM.

“SHIT!” Dick groaned.

Dick rushed up off the couch and ran to the door. Dick fumbled with the door handle before finally opening it.

“Sup, dude,” Roy said on the other side of the door. He shoved past Dick holding a white styrofoam box in one hand & a bloody knife in the other.

“Whoa, dude, what the fuck?” Dick asked, gesturing to the knife in Roy’s hand.

Roy made his way towards the bedroom, shaking his head. “Yeah, dude, we gotta fucking leave. Drake’s men found me across the street when I got take out, & one charged at me with a knife.” Roy smirked as he walked through the bedroom door. “He should be fine, he won’t bleed out...for a while.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Okay, man, so what’s the plan now?”

Roy stayed in the bedroom for a few minutes. After a while, he came back wearing a red leather jacket & red sunglasses. He held a red archery bow & a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder. “Well, I’m gearing up,” he remarked with a slight grin.

Dick stared at the equipment with both confusion & awe. The bow was dark red like blood, & shined as the curves reflected the light. It wasn’t plastic, clearly. It was a real dangerous bow. Dick had never seen one up close before, nor did he consider if he ever would. But Dick came to the conclusion that things  have happened to him that don’t normally happen to other people.

Roy looked Dick up & down. “Still have that gun?” Roy asked, smiling slyly.

 


	17. Arsenal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roy reveals his abilities to Dick as they fight off the attackers of the Olympus Hotel.

Dick & Roy made their way up more flights of stairs than Dick could count. His legs began to weaken. He was growing so tired he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. He struggled to grip onto the side rail of the stairs.

“Oh, come on, Grayson,” Roy would call over his shoulder. “You can take a few more steps.”

Dick gasped. “Why are we headed to the roof?”

“Because Drake’s men were going to eventually find out where we were. If we stayed in the room, we would’ve been dead. If we went out through the lobby, we’d be dead too.”

Dick heaved. He struggled to breathe. He took deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling as if he had just learned. His heartbeat felt normal again. “So you don’t think Drake will find us on the roof?”

The two stopped at a grey door with a metal handle. Above read “EXIT” in bright red. Roy turned back to Dick with a grin. Just then, the two heard rapid footsteps echoing through the stairwell. Roy’s grin grew larger. “I hope they’ll find us,” he said, “because this will be so cool.”

Roy shoved through the exit door with Dick trailing behind. A burst of cool air blew passed Dick. He watched as Roy swiftly made his way to the edge of the building, taking long & fast steps while aiming his bow forward with an arrow already in place.

Dick removed the gun from the back of his waistband and pointed it towards the stairwell door. Dick waited for the men to come out, but nobody did. Dick kept his arms up, but relaxed. He turned and glanced at the city skyline. This part of the city looked beautiful. It was a lot higher than the window Dick looked through earlier in the night. Dick felt as though he were above the clouds. He felt high & mighty, truly royal. He felt as though he really was at the top of Mount Olympus.

“Come on, Dick!” Roy called. He stood with one foot on the edge of the building. He held the bow out over the edge, with the drawstring pulled far back. Roy shot the arrow out towards another skyscraper. A rope was attached to the arrow, & shot all the way down into the abyss that was Gotham City. The rope finally stopped & tightened. Roy detached the rope from the bow & tied it to the railing of the edge of the roof.

Dick watched Roy as he did this, then turned back to the doorway. The first attacker appeared through the doorway. He was a young boy who looked close to Dick’s age. He held a gun of his own. He fumbled to aim it at Dick properly. Before he could wrap his finger around the trigger, Dick shot the boy twice in his arm. The boy howled in agony & dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes & clutched his arm.

Dick turned, stuffed the gun back in his waistband, and raced towards Roy, who was just about ready to leap off the building. “Wait, Roy!” Dick called as Roy stepped closer towards the edge.

Roy had hooked his bow onto the rope beneath fit feet. “Hold on!”

Just as Roy swung off the building, Dick leaped & wrapped his arms around Roy’s broad shoulders. The two zipped down the line Roy had made. Cool air rushed passed Dick’s face. He felt his hair blow back uncontrollably.  Dick smiled as the sensation of flying brought back heartwarming memories. He felt his eyes begin to water. He told himself they were only because the air was so strong against his eyes. That was it.

His flight seemed to last forever until Dick heard shouting from the top of Olympus. Bullets whizzed passed Dick & Roy. Dick wrapped his legs completely around Roy to avoid having his swinging legs shot at.

The second skyscraper approached the two faster as seconds & bullets flew by. “Alright,” Roy started, “I’m going to need you to tuck & roll once we get over the roof!”

Suddenly, the two felt themselves drop dozens of feet at an abrupt rate. Roy quickly gripped onto the rope with his two hands, his bow slipping up his wrists. Dickl held on tighter as the two came into collision with reflections of themselves.

Roy kicked in the incoming window, letting go of the rope once slipping across the floor. Dick slid beside Roy, his back cut by a few shards of broken glass. Dick winced at the sharp pain, but bit his tongue & shot right back up.

Dick’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the dark room. They had crashed into an office building filled with cubicles, creating an urban maze of computers & printers.

Dick turned and glanced out the large open window. Cool air brushed Dick’s face. It howled like a ghost flying at the top of the tower. He saw the rope Roy had shot across the two buildings hanging straight down the second building. Drake’s boys had cut the other end of the rope.

Dick blinked. A flash of red blinded Dick for a brief moment. Then it blinded him a second time. Finally, Dick could make out the laser guide of the sniper from the top of Olympus.

“Roy!” Dick called as he jumped to the right, falling onto his side. A boom echoed through the two buildings & into the carpet. The bullet shot right in between Roy’s legs as he laid prostrate.

Roy scuttled up to his feet & readjusted his bow. “Alright,” he grumbled. Roy removed an arrow from his quiver and slipped it into the bow. He pulled the drawstring back and stepped towards the open window. His arrow began to flash with a flickering red light. FInally, Roy released the drawstring, shooting the arrow towards the roof of Olympus.

“No!” Dick cried as the arrow shot whized through the air. Dick stumbled to Roy & watched the red ray of light make its way to the building. Suddenly the rooftop exploded into a blazing fire. Dick could hear screams of agony all the way across the two buildings. Chills were sent down his spine as the screams echoed into the night, then died down into the crackles of the fiery graves.

Dick turned to Roy, who stared blankly at what he had done. The fires reflected in Roy’s sunglasses. Dick couldn’t tell if Roy was content or ashamed, but his emotionless countenance disturbed him.

“Roy?” Dick said in a quiet voice, almost whispering it.

Roy suddenly turned to Dick & grinned. “Did you see that?” he said in an excited tone. “Bullseye, baby.”

Dick scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Crazy son of a bitch,” he mumbled. Dick turned back to the blazing fire. Dick imagined Drake bursting into flames. He imagined that Nolan was now dead, and that would be the end of it all. But Dick couldn’t let himself believe anything would be that easy.

Roy turned back and began walking through the cubicles. “Come on, Dicky, let’s go.”

Dick sighed and followed suit. A dozen questions ran through Dick’s mind. Why the hell did Roy have a bow and arrow set? Why did he have arrows tricked with explosives & ziplines? Why the hell did he have a matching jacket to go with the bow?

The two went through the office towards an elevator in the back. The elevator was active & took the two down to the lobby. Dick kept to himself for the duration of the elevator ride. The boys walked through the front lobby towards the big glass doors that led to the street. Dick & Roy watched as police cars had already made their way to the Olympus Hotel across the street. Nolan’s men were at the entrance of the hotel in a standoff with the GCPD.

Roy nudged the door. “It’s locked,” he grumbled.

“Don’t do anything just yet,” Dick said. “If you bust the door or anything, you might trip an alarm & the cops will be on our asses too.”

“Well, what, are we supposed to wait this out?” Roy asked.

“Well, we certainly don’t fucking blow anything else up!” Dick spat. Dick turned back and noticed a table towards the elevator they had just gotten off from. There was a computer on the desk.

Dick bit his lip. “How much you wanna bet that’s security?” Dick asked, nodding to the desk. He began walking to it with Roy following behind.

Dick walked around the edge of the desk & sat down on the large chair. He surveyed the computer underneath the desk. It was small & compact, but looked very sophisticated.

“Do you know anything about computers?” Roy asked.

“I don’t know,” Dick admitted. “I can find my way around one.”

“Right,” Roy sighed. “Leave it in the hands of the hacker that can ‘find his way around one.’”

Dick rolled his eyes and woke the screen up. He pressed the ‘Start’ tab of the desktop, which showed the programs installed onto the computer. Dick searched ‘security’ & various names appeared. Dick read each one carefully. He came across one that read ‘Axel Innovations Security System’ & clicked on it. A bright white page emerged with a space to insert a username & password. Dick clicked the ‘username’ line & a recently used username popped up. It was a 6 digit figure. Dick clicked that, then clicked on the password.

Dick tapped his fingers against the surface of the cold desk, contemplating possible passwords that could be used. Dick glanced at Roy, who stood at the side of the desk. Underneath was a drawer. “Pull that open,” Dick said, gesturing to the drawer under the desk.

Roy pulled the drawer open. He shook his head. “What am I looking for?”

Dick pushed his chair over to the drawer to peek into it. A pad of sticky notes lay amongst miscellaneous things in the drawer. Dick picked up the pad & read each one. One read ‘Leo, get my lunch.’ Another read ‘Leo, stop flirting with Rosanne & stand guard at the front.’ Dick chuckled at one that said ‘Leo, don’t eat my lunch again.’

Dick went to the desk & tried ‘rosanne’ as a password. It didn’t work. Dick tried ‘rosanne1’ as well. It failed once more. Dick bit his lip & tried ‘Rosanne1’ as a last resort. It granted Dick access into the security account of Axel Innovations.

“Son of a bitch,” Roy gasped.

Dick grinned like a fool as he went scrolling through the different commands available on the program. One read ‘Disable Alarm System’ in bold red letters. Dick clicked it.

Silence.

“Did it work?” Roy whispered.

Dick looked up at Roy. “Go open the door & see, man.”

Roy nodded & walked over to the glass door. He approached the handle slowly and pushed it outward carefully. No alarm was tripped.

Dick rushed off of his seat and ran to catch up with Roy. He already was outside the door, bow protracted outward, arrow drawn back.

“Roy, I swear to God, if you put an arrow in a cop, I’ll be super pissed.”

“Shut up,” Roy hissed. He slowly side stepped his way from the building, keeping an eye on the policemen. They were still shooting at Nolan’s men.

Roy dropped the bow to his side & fast walked to the left, away from the police. Dick followed suit.

Dick watched as the policemen were sitting against their cars, hiding from the spray of bullets being shot at them. Dick heard one cop scoff, mocking the poor aim.

A bullet flew towards Dick, grazing his right arm. Dick hissed at the sudden burning pain & clutched to his wound. Dick bent down behind the trunk of a nearby car, avoiding more bullets. Dick peeked over to see Roy hold up his bow & pull back an arrow.

“NO!” Dick called, attempting to stop Roy from shooting & getting the police’s attention.

The red arrow shot over the wall of policemen & their cars & landed towards one of the shooters by the Olympus hotel. It shot right into a boy’s chest. The boy swung his assault rifle in the air, bullets spraying, as he fell onto the ground lifelessly.

The policemen began to turn their fire towards Roy. Roy lounged back over the car where Dick kneeled at & took cover.

“Dammit,” Roy hissed as bullets shot at the metal surface of the car.

“Why did you get involved?” Dick shouted over the gunfire.

“Your brothers in blue over are complete garbage,” Roy answered. “I was giving them a hand!”

Dick heard a policeman shout into a walkie talkie. “Help, we need more reinforcements at the Olympus hotel,” he said. “We’ve got over three dozen tangos, all armed with military weapons, & one with a bow & arrow! I repeat, A BOW & ARROW!”

Dick looked across the street. The side Dick & Roy were in was more visible for the cops & mercenaries. If Dick & Roy made their way across the street, they’d avoid gunfire from the mercenaries, making it easier for the them to get away as the police shot both them & the men at the hotel.

Dick removed the handgun from his waistband. He looked at the gun, trying to figure out whether or not the weapon was loaded. Dick pressed a button on the side of the gun that ejected the magazine. The magazine was empty. Dick groaned & tossed the gun aside. Dick turned to Roy. “Okay, cover me,” he said. “And DON’T shoot anyone else, alright?”

“Shut up & run,” Roy said, leaping onto his feet & firing arrows into the crowd.

Without a second to spare, Dick ran across the street to the other side, away from the gunfire. Dick slid across the concrete towards another car & took over behind it. Dick turned back and watched as Roy reached into his quiver & pulled out a brightly tipped arrow. As Roy drew it back in the bow, he began to stepped from the cover of the car. He shot the arrow, which created a bright flash of light. Dick was blinded for a brief moment, but the light quickly faded, & suddenly Roy was beside him.

Dick stared at Roy, who was grinning at the befuddled policemen. Roy noticed Dick starring. “Flash arrow,” Roy explained.

Dick rolled his eyes. “Come on, dude.”

The two began to carefully make their way to the sidewalk, keeping their heads low to avoid gunfire. Suddenly a young man, somewhere between Dick & Roy’s age, appeared from behind a van. “Bro, get down!” he cried, pointing somewhere behind DIck & Roy.

The two bent low & looked back. Neither saw anything. Dick turned back to find the young man suddenly had a rifle in his hands, aimed right at Dick’s face.

Dick stared in shock. He felt immobilized, even though he knew he should run, or jump & wrestle the gun from the boy. Dick suddenly couldn’t find the courage or strength to act.

Dick blinked, & there was a metal blade protruding from the boy’s neck. Blood gushed out from it, & the boy fell.

Roy stood back up, stuffing what looked like the same glistening blades into his pocket. He stretched a hand out to Dick. “Come on!”

Dick grabbed his hand, still feeling phased from the rifle’s barrel in his face. The two began to run down the street together. After they had gotten a few blocks away, Roy removed the arrow from his bow & slid it into the quiver slung over his back. Roy then shook the bow in a certain manner, & the entire bow folded & collapsed into itself. Suddenly, Roy was only holding one long red rod.

Dick watched in amazement at the technology of the bow. Suddenly he felt a soft vibration. It took him a moment to realize it was his phone ringing. Dick’s hand shot into his pocket. Dick removed the phone from his pocket and checked the screen. It was 3:49 AM & Alfred had finally returned Dick’s call.

Dick groaned & answered. “Hey, Al,” Dick said casually.

"Good evening, Master Grayson,” Alfred said in a calm soothing voice on the other line. “I apologize in advanced for returning your call so late.”

“Don’t sweat it, dude,” Dick said in a slightly panicky tone. Dick turned and looked behind him, checking to see if he was being followed.

“Do you need me to come pick you up?” Alfred asked.

“No, no, no, not anymore,” Dick answered. Roy shot Dick a confused look. Dick began to stammer. “I, uh...I’m on my way home now. Don’t worry, Al.”

“Master Grayson, it’s incredibly late for you to still be out on the streets.”

“Come on, relax!” Dick said. “I’ll be fine.”

“Sir,” Alfred said in a more demanding tone.

“Al,” Dick said back.

An awkward silence took place.

“Alfred, just do me one favor.”

“What’s that, Master Grayson?”

“This time, DON’T tell Bruce.”

* * *

 

After an hour of running from what Dick & Roy thought were Nolan Drake’s men to walking and chatting about nonsense, the two went their separate ways when Dick came across a bus stop that would take him closer to Wayne Manor. On the ride home, Dick continued to wonder about Roy’s archery skills.

The bus took Dick only half a mile away from the front gates of the manor. Dick groaned as he stumbled off the bus & dragged himself home. After a few minutes, Dick realized how sore his body really was. This was all too much for one night. It all started with Rodrick asking Dick for help searching for his mother & sister.

 _That damn rat,_ Dick thought to himself.

Dick sighed and removed his phone from his pocket and glanced at the screen. He had one unread text message from earlier in the night that he neglected to acknowledge.

Dick opened the text message. It was from a number he didn’t recognize. The message said, _“Hi, this is Barbara, your tutor from earlier. I spent most of the morning deciding whether or not to text you, but here I am! Anyway, I was wondering if you would be interested in getting coffee tomorrow or something. We can go over our study arrangements.”_

Dick chuckled to himself as he read the text. He had almost forgotten that he met Barbara just a few hours earlier. He sighed with a smile on his face. He began to type a response to Barbara.


	18. Barbara

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the previous hectic night, Dick recovers by trying to settle into a normal change of pace again by going on a study date with Barbara Gordon.

Dick hurried down the stairs, adjusting the cuffs of the white button up he wore. He looked down at his khaki chino pants & black loafers as he stepped fast onto the hardwood floor of the lobby. Dick sighed, feeling a smile rise over his face. He hadn’t felt one of those in a while.

Dick rushed to a nearby mirror hanging on a wall by the stairs. Dick began to fix his hair in the mirror. His dark hair was soft against his fingers from having just taken a shower. Dick nodded. He looked good.

“Dick?” called a voice from the kitchen in the next room over.

Dick stepped back from the mirror & made his way to the kitchen. Bruce Wayne sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen, eating breakfast. He wore another nice suit, & his hair was styled with gel, ready for the work day at Wayne Enterprises.

“Hey, dude,” Dick greeted.

Bruce smiled. “Good morning,” he said in a welcoming tone. “Do you want breakfast? Alfred made omelets. Do you like omelets? The omelets are great.”

Dick shook his head with a faint smile. “Nah, man, I’m good, thanks.” Dick paused. “I’m actually, uh, going to take Barbara out for breakfast.”

Bruce chuckled. “Hah! That’s what you said last time, & a policeman came to my front door that night with my bike damaged from an explosion in Chinatown.”

Dick bit his lip. “Right.” Dick glanced at the front door, hoping to get out quickly. “But I promise I’ll come straight back, man.”

Just as Dick turned to walk to the front door, Bruce called Dick’s name. “Wait, Dick.”

Dick clenched his fist & silently groaned to himself. Dick turned to fast Bruce. “Yeah?”

Bruce stared at Dick. “Who’s Barbara?”

Dick blinked, caught off guard. “Uh, Barbara, she’s that tutor you brought over the other day.”

Bruce continued to stare at Dick. “Oh, right,” he slowly said. “Right, I got you a tutor to catch you up on school work.”

Dick nodded. “Yeah, dude, is all this coming to you?”

Bruce laughed. “Sorry, I had myself a night.” Bruce took a bite from his breakfast & chewed quickly. Then he continued. “Well, I’m really happy that you’re giving this school thing a chance. It’ll keep you busy. Going to school will let you get out more, surround yourself with bright kids & provide a great future. When I was your age, I never went out like you. I was usually at home, studying. Whether it was school work or my father’s work, or just general studying for my pleasure, I stayed home. I avoided people. I don’t know why I did. That was the last thing I should have done. IIt left me feeling alone. Like I had no one. And I didn’t. I really didn’t have anyone because of...you know...”

 _Your parents were dead,_ Dick thought to himself. “Yeah.”

Bruce stared at Dick for a moment. “I know I’m not your father. I don’t want you to think I am trying to be your father. But...I know what it’s like to be alone. To feel alone. I don’t want you to ever feel that way. I want you to talk to me if you need to. About your time in Old Gotham.”

Dick nodded. He did feel alone at times. He was diving into a whole he didn’t understand. Since Old Gotham, nothing was the same to Dick. The entire world was something to be cautious of, to be wary of.

“Or that girl you wanted to find...Cheyenne.”

Dick felt his heart grow heavy. He really missed her. He wished things were different. He wanted to take her away from Gotham’s madness. He wanted to live the life he always wanted with her. He wanted to be happy with her. He wanted to love her the way she deserved to be loved.

“Or that kid you hang out with, Roy.”

Dick thought back to when he first met Roy. He was being beat down in an alley for his wallet. The night before, Roy was taking down armed men with a bow & arrow. Dick wondered how that was possible. After what happened in Chinatown, it wasn’t IMPOSSIBLE, but just...surprising. Dick wondered whether or not this made Roy trustworthy.

“Or hell, we can just talk about different ways to get laid!”

Dick’s eyes widened at Bruce’s words. “What?”

Bruce grinned. “Look, dude, we can talk about ANYTHING. I just want to get close to you. I wasn’t close to anyone when I was your age. And now, at my age, with all the work I’ve done, I feel older than I am, & throughout all time, I was still lonely. I want to change that with you. I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

Dick let Bruce’s words sink in. He slowly began to nod, feeling empathetic towards Bruce. “Sure. One of these days, we can talk. But don’t worry about me. I’ve got people to talk to. It’s not like I’m COMPLETELY alone. I’m literally about to go on a date.”

Bruce dropped his eyes down to his plate & slowly took a bite of his breakfast, as if having just been defeated. Dick slowly looked down at his feet, feeling somewhat bad. Maybe Dick SHOULD give Bruce a better chance. It was the least he could do after taking Dick in. Dick just felt uneasy trusting someone again, after Old Gotham. Just as Dick was beginning to trust Roy, Dick is caught off guard by the secret archery gift Roy had been keeping.

Dick looked back at Bruce. “I’ll tell you all about my date when I come back.”

Bruce looked up at Dick, slightly grinning. “Can’t wait to hear it.”

Dick pulled up to the apartment on his bike. It was still early morning, & the sun made Dick feel warm in his dark clothing. Dick glanced back to his phone to double check the address. He was at the right apartment. Dick started to type Barbara a text letting her know he was outside, but then shook his head. He would be more of a gentleman if he knocked.

Dick got off of his bike & walked up the steps to the front door. Dick sighed, contemplating what he’d say. He knocked on the door, immediately growing nervous.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Barbara, wearing a beautiful yellow flowered dress that brought out her bright red hair. She had a brown bag strapped onto her shoulders and carried a large textbook across her chest. Dick felt his stomach begin to feel light and empty. Was that the feeling of butterflies? Dick was mesmerized by the woman who stood before him. Barbara’s dress & bookbag gave her an image of innocence & beauty.

Barbara smiled shyly. “Hi.”

Dick scratched the back of his neck, smiling. “You look amazing.”

Barbara’s pale face flushed with a red hue. “Oh my gosh,” she said softly. “Stop. I just put whatever on.”

Dick nodded, grinning. “Right,” he said, feeling skeptical of her summer dress as “whatever.” Dick held out his hand. “Do I need to say hello to your parents or something?”

Barbara shook her head. “No,” she began as she stepped out of the door and began closing it. “My dad’s at work, no one is home.”

“Oh,” Dick said to himself quietly. Dick’s impulsion to ease Barbara back inside her apartment lingered, but Dick pushed it back. They were only getting coffee.

Barbara turned to lock the door with her housekey, then turned back to Dick. She looked down at the curb & her eyes slowly widened. “Oh my gosh,” she breathed. “Did you come on that?”

Dick looked back at his motorcycle on the curb. “Oh, yeah.” Dick looked back at Barbara, who looked suddenly nervous. “I promise I’ll ride slow,” Dick said.

Barbara’s cheeks grew red again. “Oh, god,” she said softly. “I’m sorry, that sounded…” Barbara trailed off. “Never mind, let’s go.”

Dick couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh to himself. Dick held out his hand, leading Barbara down the stairs to his bike. Dick swung his leg over the bike, holding himself up with the handlebars. Barbara put her textbook in her bookbag & struggled to sit with her dress.

Dick turned on the ignition of the bike & revved the engine. “Hold on tight, Barbara,” Dick said over his shoulder.

Barbara placed her arms around Dick’s waist, interlocking her fingers together. “Please, Dick, don’t get us killed,” Barbara said just before Dick sped off with Barbara screaming from the back of the bike.

Dick felt the air rush past his face and smiled. Barbara’s hands gripped onto Dick’s stomach tight. Dick wondered if she could feel his abs. He grinned at the thought as Barbara tried to stifle her shrieks with every turn he made on the bike. Dick purposely drove close to cars in the congested traffic, making Barbara scream right in Dick’s ear. But he didn’t care. It was kind of fun. Most fun he’d had in a while. The perfect balance of adrenaline & comfort.

“Dick, don’t get us pulled over, or my dad will kill you!” Barbara called over the loud engine of the motorcycle

Dick smiled. “Haha, the police can try, but they can’t catch me, baby.” Just as Dick said that, he sped right by a police car. Dick quickly glanced back at it, then moved to the right lane, & made a hard right at the next light. Dick heard the siren blare from around the corner, but he wasn’t worried. He made another quick turn to the left, through an alley. Barbara began shrieking some more. Dick wasn’t sure if it was from the police siren or the quick turns or the dark frightening alley that scared Barbara.

As Dick zipped through the alley, he felt Barbara’s hands move up to Dick’s chest. He removed his right hand from the handlebar & grabbed hold of Barbara’s hands. “I got you,” he called over his shoulder. Then he took hold of the bike again & jerked the bike to the left, out of the alley. Suddenly, they were in front of the coffee shop that Roy & Dick had gone to before.

Dick felt Barbara’s heavy gasping breath against the back of his neck. Dick slowly parked the bike in the parking spots marked in front of the coffee shop. Barbara’s hands were still clenching to Dick’s shirt. They slowly relaxed, but Barbara kept her hands pressed against his chest. “Oh my gosh,” Dick heard Barbara breathe into his ear.

Dick let out a soft laugh. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked, looking back at barbara, whose face was right beside his.

Barbara looked up at Dick, her bright blue eyes glistening in the sun. “I have no words to describe that experience,” she said softly, with the slightest smile on her face.

Dick turned back forward. “Alright. So, speechless,” he said to himself with a grin.

* * *

Dick grabbed the two coffee cups & turned to walk to the table Barbara where she waited. Dick walked through the small tables, maneuvering his way & balancing the coffee. Dick approached the table & set Barbara’s coffee in front of her. She smiled and wrapped her hands around the cup. Dick set his cup down & took a seat.

Dick turned to the right. He smiled at a table by the service counter. Barbara tapped Dick’s hand. “What’s up?” she asked.

Dick turned to her & nodded back at the table. “That’s where you were sitting when I first saw you.”

Barbara smiled, blushing slightly. “Yeah, my friends were teasing me, saying that you were checking me out.”

Dick smiled to himself. “Yeah,” he mumbled shyly.

Barbara looked down in her lap. “So, um, I know we just got here, but...my dad is coming in a little bit to pick me up.”

Dick looked up at her. “Wait, what?”

Barbara took a sip from her cup. “Yeah, he got off of work early today, so he wants to come pick me up in a bit. We usually spend weekends together once he gets off work. We’ll watch movies or play games or go out. Just some bonding time, you know?”

Dick nodded. “That’s really great,” he said with a smile. “It’s good you’re close with your dad.”

Barbara smiled. “Are you close with your dad?”

Dick felt his body tense for a moment. He bit his lip and looked down at his coffee. He took a sip.

Barbara scoffed. “Oh my god,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I totally just forgot…that’s why you’re with Mr. Wayne...” her voice trailed off. “I’m so sorry, Dick. I really am.”

Dick smiled. “It’s okay,” he said softly. He gave her a faint smile. “I actually was close to my dad. Him & I hung out a lot in our travels. We saw the whole country together. We explored different cities, met all kinds of people together. He taught me how to swim in Orlando. He brought me to my first horror film in Atlanta. He bought me my first chili dog in Coney Island. It was huge. I ate it all. He always teased me about that chili dog, saying I ‘made him look like a wuss.’ It was funny.”

Dick glanced up to find Barbara staring at him with a look of interest. Her eyes were wide open with fascination. Dick cleared his throat. Barbara blinked, breaking out of her trance. “Wow,” she said softly.

The two began sipping their coffee in awkward silence. Barbara spoke first. “So what’s it like living with Mr. Wayne?”

Dick felt his tongue burn as the coffee washed against his mouth. “Oh, god,” Dick started. “Um…” Dick struggled to find the right words. “Okay. Have you ever spent the night at your friend’s house, & you found yourself alone with their parents?”

Barbara nodded with a raised eyebrow. “Sure, yeah.”

Dick smirked. “Well, it’s like that. Except there’s no friend. It’s me & the parent, & I know nothing about this guy. It’s weird. It’s unsettling. But I guess I need to become more open to the guy. But it’ll be hard.”

Barbara nodded. “You should. It’s the least you can do since he’s giving you a roof to live under & is feeding you.”

Dick smiled to himself. He had tons of money to live off of for at least a year, maybe more. He kept that to himself.

“Anyway,” Dick started. “Um, so we were gonna talk about our tutoring arrangements.”

Barbara clapped her hands together. “Right!” She reached down beside her, pulled out a few notebooks & set them on the table. Barbara reached back down and pulled out a textbook and laid it on top of the notebooks too. “Let’s start with math. How much do you know?”

Dick reached for the textbook. It was an Algebra 2 textbook. Dick opened the hardcover & began skimming through the pages. The graphs, equations and variables all seemed familiar. “I know some of this.” Dick continued turning through the book. “Inverse equations, dilations, cubic functions, quadratics. I read about these.”

Barbara raised an eyebrow. “You READ about those?”

Dick smiled. “Uh, yeah, when I was at the orphanage, I would sometimes read in the library. I read all kinds of stuff. I went through these math books & sort of learned some of the concepts. I didn’t realized I went this far in the curriculum though.”

Barbara scoffed. “So did you learn pre-cal?”

Dick shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably. I read a lot of things. I read  history books, science books, & a little bit in business. I read classics like Austen, Steinbeck, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Dickens. I’m particularly fond of classic horrors. Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, some other ones.”

Barbara smiled with what seemed like awestruck. “Wow,” she said. “Dick, you’re kind of a nerd. You should really consider testing to see your curriculum level. You may be well above Junior year.”

Dick shrugged and sipped from his coffee. “Sure, I guess I could. But I don’t know...I don’t want to be, like, marked into the system, you know? At least not now. Not with all that’s going on.”

“Oh, okay,” Barbara said softly. “I get that. Sure.”

Dick bit his lip. He looked down into his cup of coffee, then looked up at Barbara. Her eyes were glistening as they reflected the sunlight beaming down on her from the window. She was really beautiful.

Dick cleared his throat. “I may be busy with things, but...I can definitely find time for our studying dates.”

Barbara smiled “Um,” she laughed softly. She looked down at her hands. “I...I’ll be honest, I didn’t ask you here to discuss studies.”

Dick’s eyebrow rose in confusion. “You...didn’t?”

Barbara sighed. “Well, I did, sort of. Mr. Wayne had my dad talk me into becoming your tutor, but, honestly, I’ve never tutored someone before. I have no idea how to go about this. Plus, you seem to have been able to pick up a few things & learn a thing or two. So...we COULD study every now & then, but…” Barbara trailed off.

Dick felt his lips slowly rise to a smile. “We could turn these study dates to just...dates.”

Barbara nodded. “I would love that, Dick.”

Dick smiled. He took a sip from his coffee. He really liked Barbara. She was a beautiful girl, and Dick wanted someone he could trust who wasn’t involved with his troubles. He wanted someone who was well advised and could keep Dick grounded to a normal, teenage life.

“So, Dick, have you had any girlfriends?” Barbara asked with a slight smirk.

Dick looked up at Barbara & felt a small drop inside his chest. He didn’t. He never had the time nor the interest, but then there was Cheyenne. Slowly thoughts of Cheyenne flowed into Dick’s mind. Him pushing her on the swings, them cuddling together in the rain, her helping him chase birds. He thought of how much time they spent together & how Dick had never realized that she was always so beautiful. Her auburn hair, her pale skin, her brown gold eyes, her whole image came to him. His heart grew heavy.

Dick cleared his throat, looked up at Barbara, & put on his most charming smile. “No, I have not,” he simply said.

Barbara raised an eyebrow. “I can’t help but not believe that. I mean, look at you.”

Dick laughed. “What?” I’m not that amazing.”

“Hottest boy I’ve seen in a while,” Barbara remarked.

Dick felt his face flush red. He felt slightly guilty for sitting with Barbara & flirting with her. Cheyenne was still in his mind, and it frightened him. He felt as if he was betraying her, choosing someone else over Cheyenne. His heart ached has his mind culminated these dreadful thoughts. He couldn’t help but wonder...was he really throwing Cheyenne away?

No, he was only having breakfast with Barbara. He couldn’t help it if he was attracted to her. She was an attractive woman. Nothing was happening yet.

Dick sighed and smiled at Barbara. “So, where do you go to school again?” he asked.

“Gotham Academy,” Barbara answered.

Dick nodded. “Do you like it?”

Barbara shrugged. “Well, sure, it’s a good school. The teachers are good, the campus is nice. The kids are cool, they’re really friendly. Why?”

Dick shook his head. “Bruce mentioned it to me. He said he went there when he was younger.”

Barbara nodded. “Yeah, Mr. Wayne always donates to the Academy & gives speeches & stuff. He’s kind of big over there.”

“Oh, okay,” Dick said. “He wanted me to go there. He said it wouldn’t be hard for me at all.”

“Well, yeah, if you’re his adopted kid, they’ll definitely consider taking you in. It’d be good to test first, though.”

Dick nodded. “If I test, & I’m able to get in…”

Barbara smiled. “We’d be going to school together.”

Dick smiled back. He felt a feeling wash over him, similar to when Rachel first told him she might have known Cheyenne. “Yeah, we would,” he responded as his chest began to feel warm.

Barbara blushed. She looked down at her cup. “Dick Grayson,” she said softly. “My dad used to take me to this circus that would come into town. It was the Haly Circus I think. There was this act that I loved. It wasn’t the clowns, or the lion tamers, or any of that. But these acrobats, they moved with such grace & wonder. They were mesmerizing, Dick. The Flying Graysons.”

Dick smiled. “Yeah, I know who they are,” he simply said.

Barbara nodded. “They were a whole family. They wore these cute green & yellow leotards. There was, like, maybe three men, each might’ve been brothers I think. Two women. There was two boys & two girls. Over time, though, there were less & less Flying Graysons. The last time I saw them, I might’ve been maybe 6 or 7, there was a man & a woman. I think they were married. There was one boy with them. I remember I was in LOVE with him. He was such a great acrobat. The way he flipped & flew through the air…it was unbelieveable. I don’t even have words for it. He was such a wonder...”

 _“Wonder,”_ Dick thought to himself. _“Someone else said I was a wonder…”_ His mind trailed off  & drifted to his days as an acrobat. His heart ached at the thought of the plot of land which the circus tent was held up was no longer existent.

Barbara let out another sigh with a slight smile on her face, as though she were remembering a cherished moment. “I miss them,” she said softly. “I’d give anything to see that boy fly again.”

Dick’s felt his heart grow warm. He felt a slight blush up in his cheeks as well, but did his best to hide it. He felt ashamed to grow sentimental about his days in the circus. He did love it & miss it, but it was in the past. Dick grew out of that tacky leotard. He wasn’t a Flying Grayson anymore.

Dick noticed Barbara’s eyes widen as she looked at someone behind Dick & smiled. “Hey, dad,” she said.

Dick slowly turned in his seat. Standing at the coffee shop’s door was Detective Gordon. He wore a white button up shirt & slacks. His tie was loosened, allowing himself to relax & breathe. He was smiling as Barbara stood up & walked over to hug Jim.

Dick felt his heart stop beating. He was on a date with Detective Jim Gordon’s daughter.

Barbara led Detective Gordon over to the table where they sat. “Daddy, this is Dick Grayson. Dick, I’d like you to meet my father, Detective Gordon.”

Dick looked up at Barbara, then up to Jim. Detective Gordon held his hand out. “Nice to meet you, Dick.”

Dick stared blankly at the hand for a brief second. _Play along._ “Pleasure to meet you too,” Dick said.

Barbara smiled. “So daddy,” she started, “I think Dick & I will be definitely going on more of these study dates.”

“Oh, really?” Gordon said in a disapproving tone.

“Yeah, it’ll be good. Dick is really smart, & I think if him & I continue to work together, we can get Dick into a good school.”

Dick looked at Barbara, then back at her father, then back at Barbara, then looked up at her father once more. “Yeah, your daughter convinced me to take a test down at Gotham Academy to find my academic placement.”

Barbara gave a surprised look to Dick. Jim nodded. “That’s good, Gotham Academy is an excellent school.”

There was a brief moment of silence amongst the three. Barbara cleared her throat. “So yeah, Dick & I might start having more of these dates. And since I know you work late some nights, I think Dick should just end up driving me home.”

Detective Gordon gave a suspicious look to Dick. “You old enough to drive?”

Dick bit his lip. How should he respond? Gordon was well aware of Dick’s age, & Dick was pretty sure Gordon knew he didn’t have a car. “I have a bike,” Dick said softly.

Gordon nodded. “Sure you do. That green motorcycle out front, huh?” Gordon gestured behind him with his thumb.

Dick nodded slowly. Gordon found the bike in Chinatown. He knew damn well that Dick rode a motorcycle. Why was he being like this?

Jim turned to Barbara. “Alright honey, I’m gonna get myself a cup of coffee. I’ll meet you in the car.”

Barbara smiled. “Alright, daddy.” She turned to Dick & approached him. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. Dick was hesitant, but embraced her with a hug back. He held her close, feeling excited for when they would see each other again. Barbara pulled her face away from Dick’s shoulder and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Bye, Dick,” she said softly.

Dick smiled & watched Barbara walk out of the coffee shop. As she disappeared, DIck began to feel her father’s deadly stare traced on him. Dick slowly turned to him. “Detect-”

“Shut up,” Gordon hissed.

Dick recoiled back a step. Gordon held a long, vicious finger up. “I’m getting that cup of coffee. You’re not going anywhere.”

Dick plopped down onto his seat. He shut his lips tight & watched as Gordon walked slowly to the counter and ordered his drink.

Dick ran through the possible things he should tell Jim in his head. First off, he wanted to apologize. Dick wasn’t sure what for, but he felt an apology was in order. Dick also felt the urge to reassure Gordon that he had the best intentions for his daughter. Dick struggled to think of the thing to say that would win Gordon over.

“Alright,” Gordon said suddenly, startling Dick. Dick looked up to find Gordon standing right beside the table, staring straight down at the frightened kid, sipping his coffee.

“Look, Jim, er, Mr. Gordon, er, Detective, um, look, I had no idea Barbara was YOUR daughter. It’s not like I was gonna do anything wrong with her, but now that I know, I want to take the time to tell you that I have so much respect for Barbara.”

Gordon held a finger up at Dick. “Look, son, don’t start with that. You two are only studying. Don’t make this a thing. But she doesn’t get out enough. She DOES need friends. I keep her so close to me, I hardly ever let her go, ever since her mother passed away. I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything were to happen with her.”

Dick felt a slight sharp pain in his chest. He knew where this was going. “I’m a danger to your daughter.”

Gordon sighed. “With all that’s happening, with the attack on Olympus & Cobblepot’s property, Chinatown, Gotham CIty underground, it’s just not worth taking risks. I want my daughter to be happy, & I want her to make friends. I’m not forbidding you from seeing her, Dick. I just want you to give my daughter space. For her safety. She’s the only family I’ve got.”

Dick nodded. The words stung as they hung in the air. Dick understood where Jim was coming from. He wanted nothing more than to protect Barbara. He had a chance to do so. He had failed with one girl in his life...he could do better. “Understood,” Dick finally said solemnly.

Jim Gordon nodded. “Thank you,” he said softly. “We’ll be in touch when we get word of Nolan Drake.”

Gordon turned and began walking to the coffee shop exit. Dick watched as the detective left, leaving Dick with a sense of guilt. He knew he was doing the right thing, staying away from Barbara. Dick just wanted to feel like a normal boy again. He wanted to do stupid things any other teenaged boy would be doing. Dick wanted to get drunk, to go to parties, to fuck, to drive into the night without a care in the world. He wanted to love & be loved. He wanted that with Cheyenne, but...time had passed. Dick lost his chance. He wanted another chance with Barbara.

No. Gordon asked him not to. Dick couldn’t go behind his wishes. He was doing a lot for Dick, giving him ease about all that’s happened. Dick couldn’t risk sabotaging his relationship with Jim. He also didn’t want to risk Barbara’s safety either.

Dick clenched his hands into a fist & shut his eyes. He took a deep breath. Dick looked down at his cup of coffee. It was still warm. Dick grasped the cup & brought it to his lips. He slowly began to sip, but tilted the cup back fast, chugging the hot coffee. It burned as it washed on his tongue and down his throat.

Once he finished the coffee, Dick crushed the plastic cup in his hand. He stood up from his seat and walked out the door. He stopped at a trashcan in front of the coffee shop & threw the plastic cup into the bin. Dick looked up & down the street, hoping to spot Jim & Barbara.

Many people were walking about the sidewalk, going on with their lives. They were living their lives how they wanted, following their own rules, doing as they pleased. They didn’t have life threatening secrets to keep. They didn’t have hits on their heads. They were happy & Dick envied every single one of them.

Dick sighed & turned to the right and began walking to the corner of the intersection. He stopped & waited for the pedestrian walking signal to come on. As Dick looked forward, he noticed someone in the crowd waiting on the other side to cross. Amongst the adults & elderly people & families with children, a familiar face stood out to Dick. He was a young boy, maybe Dick’s age. He had dark black hair & thick bushy eyebrows. He wore a t-shirt and blue jeans. He looked like a normal kid, but...Dick couldn’t help but wonder where he had seen this boy before.

Dick waved it off. He couldn’t place his face. Soon the pedestrian crossing light blinked on, & Dick began crossing the street. People began crossing on the other end of the street. Dick looked straight ahead, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the boy staring back at Dick. As they approached each other, the boy’s stare became more intense. Dick tried to step farther away from his path, but the boy’s stare was still unsettling.

As the boy shoved passed Dick, Dick looked back at the boy. He stopped in the middle of the walkway, between the two corners, & watched the boy. Dick hadn’t noticed the plastic water bottle in his hand before. Dick began to walk down to the street, back to where the boy was headed.

The boy stepped up to the trash can in front of the coffee shop, then looked back at Dick. Their eyes met up for a brief moment. The boy thrusted his hand up to the air, bottle in hand. “HELL IS HOME!” he called out loudly, before tossing the the bottle into the trash bin & running through the crowd in the opposite direction.

Dick slowly stepped to the trash can. He peeked inside of the bin, & saw the plastic bottle begin to sizzle from the inside. The steam that rose up from inside the trash can was extremely hot. It smelled awful.

Dick began to step away from the trash bin. Soon the street goers noticed the trash can & began avoiding the area around it. People walked passed it, but others moved away, & some turned the opposite direction.

A loud groaning sound began to resonate from the trash can. It grew louder & louder, deafening Dick’s hearing. _What the hell is that?_ Dick thought to himself, but he could barely hear himself think. The groan grew louder, but slowly began to rise to a higher pitch. It reminded Dick of a plane on it’s way to crash to the ground, or a missile about to hit its target.

Dick turned back to see a woman with a baby carriage approach the trash can. Dick leaped to the mom & the carriage. “GET AWAY,” he cried as he threw his body over the woman’s. He craned his neck to see the baby carriage. He reached up with his arm to try to move the carriage away, towards the wall of the coffee shop.

Then everything went dark.


	19. Capital of Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick recovers in the hospital after the coffee shop explosion.

Dick sat beside the hospital bed at Gotham General. He looked down at his leg. He had fractured a bone in his leg, the same one that he hurt in Old Gotham & in Chinatown. According to the doctor, it would heal soon. All that was required was icing the leg, keeping the leg elevated, & relaxing. That was garbage.

Dick scoffed at the idea. He had endured worse pain in Old Gotham. He could push passed it.

The hospital room door opened, with Bruce Wayne & Detective Gordon entering.

“God dammit, Dick!” Bruce groaned.

“Yeah, fuck you too!” Dick snapped back.

“Hey!” Gordon called out. “Wayne, Dick, calm down.”

Dick breathed inward heavily as he stared Bruce down. His fists were clenched, but he quickly relaxed his hands & adjusted the collar on his blazer.

Dick rolled his eyes. “I only have a fractured leg. I’ll be fine.”

Wayne nodded silently. Gordon eyed him, then turned to Dick. “That’s good.”

Dick slowly nodded, then looked down at his leg. He wiggled his foot around. It sent sharp pains up his body. Dick winced at the feeling, then stopped. He kept his eyes shut for a moment, and breathed deeply. “Gordon, tell me, how many people died?”

The question hung in the air with tension & silence. The billionaire & detective quietly glanced at one another, then to the ground. “14,” Bruce Wayne said, breaking the silence. Dick turned to him. “Roughly 20 others were injured. The bomb’s blast radius wasn’t that big. It didn’t go passed the intersection.”

Dick shook his head. “Tell that to the 14 dead people.”

Gordon stepped up to the bed, towards Dick. “The intersection is contained. We blocked it off, so right now there’s not a lot any of us can do. People are resting, trying to recuperate. The coffee shop & the boutique next door have to repair some of their damaged property, but it’s not that bad right now.

Dick felt his hands grow numb as he listened to the cop. “I don’t understand how you two can talk about this so...nonchalantly. People died. INNOCENT people. They BLEW UP. No one died when the Old Gotham subway blew up. A few kids broke a few wrists, but they had it coming. They were adolescent animals. The Olympus building had NO casualties either. A few gunmen, & that’s it. THOSE, you guys gave shit about. But this, you two can brush off like it’s nothing? What the hell is wrong with you two?”

“Dick,” Bruce started. “We live in a world run by chaos. Since 9/11, there have been roughly 200 deaths in terrorist attacks on American soil. If you’re looking at the country’s crime rate in general, there are over 1,100,00 crimes reported each year. Over 30,000 people die every year from these violent crimes, & you know what? That’s what our country is built on. Gotham City is just the capital of it all.”

Gordon sighed. “I had to agree, but he’s right, Dick. The city just gets more & more violent. Sure, we have our occasional dry spells of violent crimes being committed, but at the end of the day, Dick, we are the capital of crime in America. Tons of people die. We as Americans have just become...I guess numb to it.”

Dick stared at the two in disgust. “God, you guys make me sick.”

Bruce cleared his throat. “But the Batman is definitely helping out, isn’t he, Detective?” he said with a grin.

Gordon groaned. “Bruce, you know that’s a difficult subject for me.”

Dick eyed the two for a second. “Um,” he said softly. “I met him.”

Bruce & Gordon both looked at Dick. “What?” Gordon said.

Dick scratched his neck. “I, uh...met him the night before.”

Gordon stared at Dick, then glanced back at Bruce. “I’m sorry, I’m going to need a minute alone with Dick.”

Bruce shook his head. “No, I want to take him home to rest.”

Gordon held a hand up. “I’m sorry, I’m going to have to insist.”

Bruce turned to Dick. “You don’t have to answer anymore questions. You’re under a lot of pain & you don’t need to stay here.”

Dick was confused about Bruce’s sudden concern for him. Since when did he care about what Dick told the police. “I don’t mind, Wayne. I won’t be long.”

Bruce stared Dick down for a moment, but sighed and nodded softly. He turned & walked out of the hospital room, closing the door behind him.

Dick turned to Gordon, who walked over to a chair beside the bed & pulled it closer to Dick. “Okay Dick,” he started. “Let’s talk.”

“I don’t know who the Batman is, Detective.” Dick said bluntly.

Gordon nodded. “Alright, Dick. That’s fine.” He removed a notepad & pen from the inside of his coat. “Tell me what you DO know about him.”

Dick looked at the notepad in the detective’s hand and sighed. “He’s tall. Buff. But his suit is a big armor, so I don’t know if he’s even that big or if he’s a tall scrawny guy.”

“Anything...distinctive about him that you could tell me? Any facial features that stuck out? Maybe an accent of a sort?”

Dick shook his head. “The Bat wore a mask, I didn’t see his face. His voice was distorted too.”

Gordon jotted the notes down. “Okay. So what did he say to you specifically?”

Dick shook his head. “He knows about Nolan Drake & Old Gotham. He knows that Drake has a plan brewing up. He knows that Oswald Cobblepot is supplying Drake’s weapons.”

Gordon ran a hand through his hair. “Dammit, not Cobblepot.”

Dick continued. “Cobblepot’s helping Drake. They’ve got this plan to take over the city, but Cobblepot plans to kill Drake & take over from there.”

Gordon sat back and sighed. “Cobblepot is off limits.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Gordon took a deep breath. “The GCPD is well aware of Cobblepot’s involvement in the city’s criminal activity. He pays for most of the police department’s financial funds, though. He maintains his investments in his properties, provides us with funds, we let him do whatever else he needs. We arrest who we need & charge everyone BUT Cobblepot.”

Dick shook his head. “This just keeps getting better & better.”

Gordon nodded. “Yeah. I owe him a lot of favors myself.”

Dick kept silent. He wondered what Gordon meant by that. Gordon nodded to Dick. “Anything else about the Batman that you could tell me?” Gordon asked.

Dick thought about it. “He has a car,” Dick said after a pause.

Gordon stared at Dick. “Okay,” he said.

Dick watched Gordon write notes down on the pad. “Are you trying to arrest the Batman?”

Gordon set the pen down & shut his eyes. He looked up at Dick. “Yeah. I am. The city does not tolerate vigilantism.”

“He’s helping with Nolan Drake’s case, though.”

“Where was he today, Dick?” Gordon spat. “When 14 people died today, where was he?”

Dick kept quiet. Gordon took a shuddery breath. “Me & Barbara were down the street when that bomb went off. We were right...there.”

Suddenly James Gordon broke down. He began crying uncontrollably. Jim buried his face into his hands. He was hunched over, his head sinking into his lap. His shoulders rose & fell rapidly with each horrid breath he heaved. His sobs were low, but loud. Dick had never seen a grown man cry.

Dick felt horrible. Just hours earlier, Jim was telling Dick about his life threatening his daughter’s safety. Today was just a reminder of that very truth. And Dick hated it.

Dick leaned towards Gordon. “It’s okay,” Dick whispered to Jim. “You’re right. You & Barbara could’ve easily been one of the 14 who died today. So could I. But we didn’t. Luckily, we survived. But THIS is why this bombing is a big deal, Jim. One of those 14 could have been someone else’s daughter dying, or someone else’s father. Any terrorist attack is still unacceptable. A hell of a lot more intolerable than a vigilante doing some good. But that’s okay. Cry about how close this bullet came. Because while you sit here and sob, Nolan Drake & Oswald Cobblepot are planning something else, & will murder more people. Drake gives NO shits. You don’t either, & that’s fucking fantastic. But I do. I’m going to stop him from murdering another 14 people. I’m going to stop him from killing someone’s daughter. I’m going to murder Nolan Drake.”


	20. Thank You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick revisits the site of the explosion.

Dick limped towards the police tapeline surrounding the block of the coffee shop bombing. He scoffed at the tape & pulled it up, sneaking underneath the tapeline.

Dick took the time to call Barbara after he returned from the hospital. They talked about what happened. She told Dick that she was glad that he was alright. He said the same to her. She asked when he would want to have another study date. Dick said he would get back to her on that.

Three days had passed since the incident. Dick left the hospital and returned to Wayne Manor to recover. It hadn’t taken long. Dick continued to exercise & train with the damaged leg. “ _ Push past your limit,”  _ he told himself.  _ “Past the pain.”  _ Dick punched bags & walls, he pushed past his limits & physical pain, but the guilt was still there.

Dick looked about the debris of the city block. The entire sidewalk had been sunken in, as though a meteor had fallen to Earth & caused a crater. The coffee shop was empty, with its sign hanging by one side. The windows were blasted inward, revealing the empty space inside. There were a few parked cars beside the bombing. Some had blown up. The ashy remains of those vehicles stayed where they were, beside the sidewalk. The trashbin, surprisingly, was only crumbled in the center of the crater.

Dick sighed. He stepped down into the crater, towards the trash can that destroyed 14 people’s lives.

Dick struggled to climb down the rubble, scabbing his palms as he gripped the jarred concrete underneath his feet. He managed to reach the trash can at the center of the crater, but the metal had been blown apart into different pieces. Dick kneeled down and examined the what was left of the trash can. Something had bothered him for a while.

The day the coffee shop was attacked, when the boy placed the cup into the trash can, he had shouted “Hell is Home.” That was a clear nod to Nolan Drake taking credit to the act of terrorism. But...the trash can began to smoke. The bomb had been planted before the cup was dropped into the can. Was the cup a cue for the bomb to be detonated, perhaps remotely from another location?

“Hello?” a voice called from above Dick. He startledly looked back, getting up from the ground where he hope he’d find the remains of the bomb. Dick looked up to where the voice came from. He saw a silhouette of a woman against the light of the sun. Her body was skinny, & her clothes were form fitting. Her hair was let down her shoulders.

Dick struggled to climb back up the crater. As he got closer, he saw the woman more clearly. She was a blonde woman. She was a grown woman, maybe 30 or so. She was wearing yoga pants & a exercising tank top. They were Nikes. Dick liked Adidas better. But she was really pretty.

“Hi,” she started. “Do you remember me?”

Dick shook his head softly. “No, I’m don’t,” he said dumbfoundedly. “I’m sorry,” he said nervously, glancing back at the tapeline around the crater. “I know I shouldn’t be here.”

The woman shrugged. “I know, neither should I. But this is the block I go through to jog after work, & I didn’t want to mess up my routine.” She cleared her throat. “Um, my name is Janet, by the way.”

Dick smiled shyly. “Dick,” he said softly. He bit his lip nervously, confused as to why she had approached Dick.

Janet continued. “I came by here three days ago. I had been right here when that bomb went off. I had my daughter with me on a baby carriage. But then I was saved by a guardian angel. A young boy selfishly threw himself at a complete stranger & managed to push my daughter out of harm’s way. You saved my life, Dick. You saved my daughter’s life. I don’t have words to express how grateful I am, & I don’t think there’s anything I can ever to do repay you. But...I would like to start by saying thank you.”

Dick felt his chest grow light. He couldn’t explain what he was feeling. He didn’t expect this at all. He didn’t ask for this. But...it felt good. He didn’t know if he was proud, or if he was appreciative, or if he was embarrassed. He had never done anything like this before. He had never...saved a life. He didn’t know how to react to this.

Then Dick took a deep breath and decided to act normal for a moment. Dick smiled softly to the Janet & relaxed. “You’re welcome,” Dick simply said.

Janet’s eyes began to well up with tears. Her breathing became shudder. Janet brought her hand up to her mouth, but the tears rolled down her eyes.  She had turned her back to Dick, but her shoulders rose & fell heavily. Janet had begun crying.

Dick didn’t know what to do. Did he say something wrong? Should he have said more?

Dick swallowed. He had unconsciously put his life on the line to help someone he didn’t know. He could help her one more time.

Dick hesitated, but took a few steps towards Janet. Dick rose his hand up to her, then he place his palm softly against her shoulder. Janet quickly turned around and embraced Dick with a tight bear hug. She began to cry on his shoulders. Janet was a few inches taller than Dick, & her head was awkwardly against his shoulder. Her chest continued to rise & fall as she heaved and sobbed. She clenched to Dick’s shirt. He rubbed his hand against Janet’s back. He let her cry on his shoulder for a few more minutes. Then they sat on the debris, just staring at the crater. Then Janet left to finish her jog, & Dick walked home.


	21. Where Were You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick receives a mysterious message that provides a new lead in his investigation of the attacks in Gotham.

Dick walked out of the bathroom after having just taken a long shower. He felt clean from the workout he had just done, & was ready to take a long nap. Dick readjusted the towel wrapped around his waist & walked to his nightstand, where he had left his phone. He saw a few texts from Barbara.

Dick & Barbara had begun to forget about the coffee shop bombing the week before. They were both still phased. Barbara believed it was a horrible thing & felt deeply sorry for the victims. She didn’t know what had really happened. With that boy, with his chant, with his message. _“Hell is home.”_

Dick had done his best to keep Barbara out of the dark about Nolan Drake & the threats he had made to the city. Dick kept his nights he spent searching for answers a secret. The Old Gotham underground, Chinatown, Olympus, all of those, he made sure Barbara didn’t think to ask him OR her father about those. It didn’t feel right, though. It felt so disgusting to lie about that to her. Dick wanted to tell her so badly.

But then Dick remembered what Gordon had told him. His life would bring danger to her. He had to learn to accept that truth.

Dick opened the texts from Barbara. They were just a few selfie photos & one asking Dick which she should post on Instagram. He wasn’t sure how Instagram worked, but he didn’t know what photo to pick; they were all beautiful photos of her. Dick sighed and told her he loved them all. She sent a reply back saying _“Aw! I guess I’ll post the one with less boob lol.”’_

Dick laughed softly to himself. He sent his phone down and sat on his bed. Dick swung his legs up onto the bed & crossed his legs. He turned his body towards the foot of the bed & shut his eyes. He began breathing deeply. He used to mediate. He started after Cheyenne left the orphanage, & a few times in Old Gotham whenever he got a chance. He found it never really helped. He wasn’t sure if he was doing it wrong or not. He didn’t feel calmer, he didn’t feel relaxed. Over time, it became more of just a thing for Dick to do.

Dick’s phone vibrated. He opened his eyes and reached back for his phone. Dick opened the text & realized it wasn’t from Barbara. It was a text from a blocked number.

 _“Riddle me this:_ _We're five little items of an everyday sort; you'll find us all in 'a tennis court'. What are we? - Enigma”_

Dick raised his eyebrow. He reread the text a few more times, confused. Who was this, & why were they sending him a riddle?

Dick shook his head and replied saying _“Who is this?”_

The response was the same message forwarded again. _“Riddle me this:_ _We're five little items of an everyday sort; you'll find us all in 'a tennis court'. What are we? - Enigma”_

Dick noted the last part of the text. It said “ _Enigma.”_ Like a puzzle, or a cipher. Or a riddle.

Dick reread the message for the second time. Five little items of an everyday sort. Found in a tennis court. Dick thought about tennis. Tennis balls, tennis nets, tennis racquets. There were also tennis players, along with the audience. But those weren’t items of an everyday sort.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that startled Dick. “Shit,” Dick mumbled to himself. “Come in.”

The door cracked open & Alfred’s head popped in. “Evening, Master Grayson. I’ve just made an excellent pot of cajun style gumbo for dinner if you’re interested.”

Dick grinned softly. “Oh, I love gumbo. My mom got me some for the first time when we traveled down to Louisiana. I’ll come down for some in a bit.”

Alfred nodded. He had begun to pull his head back from the door when Dick called out his name again. “Alfred, wait!”

Alfred looked up at Dick. “Yes?”

Dick looked down at his phone. “What are five everyday items found in a tennis court?”

Alfred raised an eyebrow. “Beg pardon?”

Dick shrugged. “I dunno. It’s a riddle. ‘ _We're five little items of an everyday sort; you'll find us all in 'a tennis court'. What are we?’”_

Alfred smirked. “Well, it’s vowels, obviously.”

Dick stared at Alfred. “What?”

“Vowels, in the alphabet. You said five everyday items in ‘a tennis court.’ A, E, I, O, U. Vowels.”

Dick stared dumbfoundedly at Alfred. “Oh,” he said softly. “I thought Y was a vowel.”

“On occasion, yes, but not in this instance,” Alfred said, stepping inside.

Dick looked down to his phone and began typing the response to Enigma. “ _Vowels.”_

Right away, Dick got a second text message. _“You’re a real whiz, kid! Now riddle me this: What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every race? - Enigma.”_

Dick read the riddle out loud. He looked up at Alfred. “It’s E, isn’t it? LIke, the beginning of the word eternity, & the end of the phrase ‘time and space?” It’s all E.”

Alfred nodded. “Yes, I suppose by that logic, it would be the letter E.”

Dick responded to Enima with _“The letter E.”_

The next text came quickly. _“Clever as ever. Riddle me this: What walks on four legs, then two, and finally three? - Enigma.”_

Dick read the riddle out loud. Dick raised an eyebrow and looked up at Alfred. “Help?”

Alfred sighed. “A human being, Master Grayson. It’s a riddle derived from Greek mythology. The Sphinx would ask travelers a variation of this riddle. ‘Which creature has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?’ The answer would be a human being, seeing as a human crawls on four feet as a baby, two as an adult, & three as an elderly person with a cane.”

Dick nodded. “Okay,” he said as he began typing the answer to the riddle. He wrote _“A human being.”_

Dick pressed send on the message. He had expected another riddle message, but the next text he received was an address. Dick read the address to himself, then a second time. A look of shock slowly rose over his face.

“Everything alright, Master Grayson?” Alfred asked. “This one stump you?”

Dick stared at his phone, then slowly looked up at Alfred. “Uh, yeah.” Dick shook his head, & shut his eyes. He didn’t want to go back. “Sorry, Al, I think I’ll have to pass on that gumbo tonight.”

Alfred nodded. “Very well, sir. I’ll save the bowl for you when you return.”

Dick nodded. “Thanks, Al.”

Alfred left the bedroom & shut the door behind him. Dick got out of his bed and began to get dressed. He had to return to the site of the bombing.

* * *

Dick walked down the dark empty vacant street, towards the yellow tape. As he approached the tape, his chest began to fill with guilt again. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how many times he told himself it wasn’t his fault, Dick knew it was. The attack was because of him. He could’ve stopped that boy if he had been more alert. He could’ve saved those 14 people.

Still, he couldn’t help but hear Janet’s voice echo in his mind. _“Thank you.”_

Dick stepped underneath the tape & stared down into the crater. Flowers were placed around the site. Dick felt a tug in his chest. He sighed and pulled his phone from his pocket and looked back at the text from Enigma. The address was correct. He was supposed to be there. But why?

Dick surveyed his surroundings. “Fucking Christ,” he mumbled to himself. “What the hell...is this a game to you? Another fucking riddle? Is this what you’re doing to me? You’re fucking crazy! This isn’t right! It’s a fucking memorial! People DIED here! There’s spilt blood & tears here! And you wanna fuck with me with this shit! You are SICK, Enigma! No, you are INSANE!”

“Dick,” said a low hoarse voice.

Dick felt his heart beat straight out of his chest at the startling call of his name. He turned around to find the Batman looming over his shoulder.

“God dammit, you fucking bastard!” Dick cried as he backed away.

The Batman stared right at Dick. Dick couldn’t tell what the Bat’s facial expression was. The Bat took one small step forward. “What are you doing here, Dick?”

Dick rose an eyebrow. “Paying my fucking respects, what’s it to you?”

“You were crying out curses about someone named ‘Enigma.’”

Dick brought his middle finger up to the Bat. “Fuck off,” he said & turned to walk away.

The Batman reached out & grabbed Dick’s arm, pulling him back. Dick yanked his arm back & swung a fist to the Bat’s face. “DON’T FUCKING TOUCH ME!” Dick growled as he began to walk off once more.

As Dick walked away, he suddenly felt his blood boil & his palms clench into fists. His heart pounded hard & his head began to throb. He stopped in his tracks & turned back around, stomping towards the Batman.

“Where were you, huh?” Dick started. “Where the FUCK were you?” The Batman stood there in confusion. Dick scoffed, and continued. “14 people died that day. They were blown up. Police couldn’t stop it. It was a surprise attack. But you’re THE BATMAN. You’re a fucking legend. You’re supposed to be a hero, man. You save lives. You’ve done it, I’ve seen it. You’ve saved my life. So why didn’t you save them?”

Batman stared at Dick. His expression was blank. Dick felt his anger grow as the silence between the two droned on. Dick rolled his eyes the began to turn away when the vigilante spoke. “I was busy.”

Dick stopped in his tracks. He let out a roar as he reached down & picked up a long wooden plank & swung it at the Batman in one swift motion. The plank shattered on impact with the Batman’s armor. The Batman stared down at Dick, who was breathing hard.

Dick took a deep breath and spoke in between his heavy heaves. “How the hell are you too busy for the city, but you make time to fuck with me?”

The Batman shook his head. “You’re missing the big picture, Dick.”

Dick scoffed as the Batman walked around Dick towards the crater. The Bat continued. “This message you received from this ‘Enigma’ suggested that you return to this spot. I received the same message. Someone wanted us both here.”

Dick nodded. “Okay, sure. Except I’ve already come here. I came to see the damage. I did my due diligence, conducting my own investigation.”

“Your own investigation?” The Batman responded in his hoarse tone.

“Yeah, my own investigation!”

“What have you learned about the bombing, then?”

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again. What HAD he learned about the bombing?

“Well,” DIck started, clearing his throat. “It was an attack by Drake. He sent one of his guys down here with a bomb. The boy hadn’t tried to avoid the blast.”

“So a suicide bomber?” The Batman asked.

Dick looked back into the blast crater. “Yeah, I guess so…” Dick began walking up towards the crater, then stumbled down into it. He looked back up, where the Batman watched him. Dick turned back to the ground, where he surveyed it rubble. “Is it possible that the bomb was already in place by the time the kid showed up?”

Batman began to step down the crater. “What do you mean?”

Dick looked back down. “Well, I was thinking, maybe the bomb was already here, & it was only detonated when the kid arrived. Like some sort of cue to blast the block.”

Batman nodded. “Interesting,” he said softly. He bent down to the concrete where the trash can would have been. “In the reports, it says the boy dropped an empty bottle into the trash can?”

Dick shrugged. “Sure, that might have been the signal, right?”

Batman ignored the question. “That bottle might not have been empty.”

Dick blinked. “Huh?”

Batman sighed. “Cadmus, a scientific research facility, recently made a breakthrough in a new chemical compound which can release toxic acids when exposed to oxygen. These toxic acids are similar to what’s released in a chlorine bomb.”

Dick nodded slowly. “Isn’t that like a dry ice bomb?”

“Yes,” Batman said, “but on a larger & more acidic.”

Dick bit his lip. “Shit, ok,” he said softly.

“The bomb was the compound inside of the bottle. The boy threw the open bottle into the trash can, where oxygen reacted with the compound, creating an explosion.”

Dick sighed. “So a chemical weapon,” he said softly. “Nolan Drake has chemical weapons.”

The Batman bent down to peer into the crater. “But where did you even hear that this attack was a chemical weapon?” Dick asked

The Bat turned slightly to Dick. “With Oswald Cobblepot working as Nolan Drake’s arms dealer, I decided to start tailing Cobblepot’s movements. He’s been visiting Cadmus for the past few weeks, most likely buying weapons off of them.”

Dick nodded. “Cadmus,” he said to himself. So Nolan had Cobblepot buy weapons from Cadmus. With Gotham in impending danger, the only logical thing to do was to stop Nolan from getting his hands on any more weapons. Find Cadmus, find Cobblepot, find Nolan, & put a stop to them for good.

“Where can I find Cadmus?” Dick asked the Batman.

“Oh, you don’t,” the Bat said before standing up. He looked down at Dick. “It’s a military base, so there’s virtually no way to get in.”

Dick nodded. Cadmus was a military base that specialized in scientific research, such as chemical warfare. According to the Batman, Nolan had used Cadmus weapons to orchestrate this attack. And for some reason, Dick was sent back to the blast site by Enigma to learn about this. Enigma wanted Dick to find out about Cadmus. Maybe Enigma knew Cadmus was involved...maybe he wanted Dick to find Cadmus.

That’s it. Dick was going to find Cadmus. And Enigma knew how to do it.

“Don’t do anything stupid, Richard.”

Dick turned back to where the Batman was standing to find that the Batman had disappeared. Dick stayed as the sun set behind the Gotham City skyline, contemplating how Dick would go about executing his plan. Dick was going to do it. Find Enigma, find Cadmus, find Cobblepot & Nolan Drake. It could work.


	22. Enrollment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick comes to Gotham Academy to enroll in the school, but crosses paths with someone familiar.

Dick drove his motorcycle into a parking spot on the edge of the curb. He switched off the ignition & swung his leg off of the bike. He looked up at what could potentially become Dick’s future.

Dick began to walk down the street towards the front courtyard of Gotham Academy. He had gone over the idea of enrolling into the private academy with Bruce & Barbara for a few days, & he finally had the chance to test & see if he placed in the ranks of high society students. It was getting close to Thanksgiving break, so he wouldn’t find out whether he got in for a while.

Dick stopped in the middle of the courtyard a few yards away from the front doors & sighed, staring up at the campus. It was a genuinely amazing sight in an artistic way. The building was styled like a Victorian castle, but yet, it had a few modern aspects to its architecture. The fact that there was multiple buildings on campus only highlighted the vast enormity of the first class education system, just as vast as the campus itself. The buildings were separated into classes for the arts, sciences, literary arts, & classes for younger kids. It sort of bothered Dick that the campus also had kids in elementary school. But other than that, Dick was actually excited about the prospect of enrolling in the fine school.

Just at that moment, a young girl no older than 10 years old ran passed Dick in her uniform. Dick glanced over his shoulder as she ran to the curb. Dick’s eyes widened in alert when the girl almost ran across the street as cars sped on by in the school zone.

Beside the young girl was a black car. It was very sleek & stylish. The foreign brand on the car had caught Dick’s attention. This car emphasized the type of people that attended this academy. Dick had doubts that he would fit in. He wasn’t raised as a wealthy boy. In fact, he spent a good portion of his life fending for himself. Dick wasn’t sure if he would manage to sit still in a desk surrounded by other kids for seven hours a day for five days a week for the next 32 weeks. He was raised to leap & fly, not to sit & obey.

Suddenly, a large suited man stepped out of the driver’s seat of the black car. He walked around towards the backseat door and opened it. A young man stepped out of the backseat & began to walk around the car. He was dressed in jeans & combat boots. He wore a black leather jacket over a black t-shirt. He began walking towards the school with the suited man standing beside the car. It took Dick a few moments to realize who it was he was staring at.

“Shit,” Dick hissed under his breath & turned back to the front. It was Nolan Drake, in broad daylight. But what the hell was he doing at Gotham Academy?

Dick felt someone step close to his side. Dick slightly turned to see Nolan stand right next to him, staring straight ahead. Nolan had a slight grin on his lips. He turned to look down at Dick. “Hey, Grayson.”

Dick felt his blood run cold. His hands clenched to fists & his breathing became heavy. Dick’s first instinct was to attack him. Dick wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to finally rid Gotham City of the disease that is Nolan Drake. But it wouldn’t be wise to do it with Drake’s personal detail waiting not too far behind, & especially not on the campus of one of the most prestigious schools on the East coast.

“Drake,” Dick managed to growl in a mumbled voice.

Nolan cleared his throat. “It’s been a while. How are you?”

Dick scoffed & turned to Nolan. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

“Hey, there are kids around,” Nolan said with a grin.

“You blew up an entire city block.”

Nolan shrugged. “Come on, it’s not like the Mayor doesn’t have money saved somewhere in his deep corrupted pockets.”

Dick took this statement into consideration. Nolan Drake seemed to have a good idea of what kind of man the Mayor was. Of course, Drake could easily just be speaking out of arrogance, but what if he DID know the Mayor? He knew the Mayor’s deep, dark secrets, which would just blow right back up into his face. Nolan Drake had resources, connections. Weapon dealers, the Mayor, Cadmus.

Cadmus. Dick needed to find Cadmus.

“Nolan, the police have done investigation on the city block bombing,” Dick said.

Nolan turned to Dick slowly. “Really? Did they, now?”

Dick nodded. “They said that the attack was a chemical weapon based attack. GCPD is investigating into where the weapon came from.”

Nolan’s stern face grew into another devilish grin. “No, they’re not.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Nolan scoffed. “The GCPD isn’t looking into this at all, or at least not thoroughly, and if they were, you sure as hell wouldn’t be telling me everything they know. No, YOU’RE looking into this attack, Grayson, and you’re trying to find out where I got the bomb.”

Dick took a moment to take this all in. Drake was good. But Dick could play it another route. “You’re right,” Dick started. “The GCPD isn’t doing jack shit. But I’m not the one looking into this.”

“Oh, then who is?” Drake asked, stepping closer to Dick.

Dick raised his lips to form his own sly grin. “I think you know who.”

Nolan stared into Dick’s eyes with a raised eyebrow. When realization wash over his face, Dick could see it. The opening of Nolan Drake’s eyes, the tightening of his jaw. It was sudden shock, and possibly fear. Hopefully fear. “The Batman,” Nolan Drake whispered. “You DO know him.”

Dick shook his head. “No, I don’t. And you knew that, too. Cobblepot would’ve told you.”

Nolan shook his head. “I didn’t believe Oswald, & I don’t believe you. I think you know exactly who the man underneath the mask is.”

Dick shook his head. “It doesn’t matter whether I know the Batman. All that does is that I’m going to stop you, Drake. I’m going to put you down before you hurt any more innocent people.”

Nolan scoffed. “Innocent?” Nolan threw his hands outward. “Tell me, Grayson, who here in this city is innocent? Gotham is rotting, Dick. Rotting to shit. Rapists and robbers, thieves and thugs, crime lords and corrupt congressmen, they ALL run the city, and they’re already killing those who claim to be innocent. But really, no one is. We all have secrets, we all sin. We are all born from the dirt that this city is fed. I’m changing that, Grayson. I’m taking over, and I’m tearing down the system to bring it back up the way Gotham is meant to be.”

Dick felt his fists clench once more, ready to throw a punch, but just as Dick’s bicep twitched to attack, a young boy ran passed him. “Nolan!” the kid called.

Dick looked down at the child, who rushed right through Dick to reach Nolan. The boy wrapped his arms around Nolan’s hips and buried his head tight into Nolan’s stomach. “Hey, slugger,” Nolan responded sweetly.

Dick felt chills down his spine at what he was witnessing. The child had dark black hair & wore the school uniform a little loosely. It didn’t seem to fit the small frail child. He wore glasses too big for his face, & had a red and yellow backpack strapped tight to his back. When the boy stepped back, Dick got a good glimpse of the boy’s face. He was pale with eyes as blue as the ocean after dark, contrasting with his skin. His eyes were bright as they stared up at Nolan Drake.

Nolan bent down on one knee & removed the kid’s backpack. “Did you have a good day today?” he asked in a soft voice.

The kid nodded. “Yeah, today we got to play with the baby chicks!”

“Baby chicks?” Nolan asked. “That’s awesome, dude.”

“Yeah, we got the eggs a long time ago, & we left them under a light, & we had to observe the eggs, & then they hatched.”

“Oh, man, that’s awesome!” Drake responded with an over-the-top enthusiasm. “I wish I got to raise baby chicks when I was YOUR age.”

“Maybe we can buy our own eggs at the store, & then we can hatch them together!”

Nolan chuckled. “Oh, dude, those eggs at the store aren’t the ones with chicks in them.”

The kid’s bright & excited face suddenly deflated. “Oh,” he simply said. He turned to look at Dick. “Hi.”

Dick was so shocked by the discussion the two had just shared that he was startled when the boy finally acknowledged Dick. “Oh, um, hi.”

Nolan stood up & slung the kid’s backpack over his shoulder. “Hey, want a little bit of ice cream before I take you home?”

The kid turned back to Nolan. “Yeah!”

Nolan smiled. “Alright, little dude, hop in that car where Quintin is,” he said, nodding to the black car.

The little boy scurried off as fast as he had appeared. Nolan stared back & watched as the boy greeted Quintin the bodyguard, & stumbled to step into the car.

Nolan turned back to Dick, who wore a look of confusion the entire time. Nolan smiled. “He’s a good kid.”

Dick attempted to speak, but could barely form his words. “Is he…?”

Nolan stared at Dick, waiting for Dick to finish his statement. When Dick was at a loss for words, Nolan rolled his eyes. “I’m going to save this city, Grayson. For him. Nothing will stand in my way. Not the GCPD, not the Batman, & especially not you.” Nolan turned and began walking back to the car.  “See you around, Grayson!” he called as he stepped to the passenger seat of the car.

Dick watched as the car slowly began to pull out of the curb of the school and began driving away. He tried to recap what had occurred in the last few minutes.

The notorious Nolan Drake appeared at a school campus, which Dick found suspicious enough. Dick mentally kicked himself for not thinking to ask what the guy was doing at Gotham Academy. On top of that, Dick got nothing out of Drake about Cadmus. Instead, Dick was just reminded about Nolan’s troubled mindset & his heinous operation to take over the city. Along with that, Dick discovered that Nolan Drake had...a soft spot? Was that child Drake’s son? Dick thought back to how the child looked like, & he did look a little bit like Nolan, except for the eyes. But Nolan wasn’t old enough to have a son...was he? Dick honestly couldn’t tell. Nolan Drake had a sort of ageless face. Dick tried to recall whether he heard any stories in the Underground about Nolan having a child, or even a girlfriend for that matter. Was he keeping the boy a secret? Maybe the boy was Nolan’s weakness. Could he use the boy as leverage?

No, of course not. That would be low; lower than even Drake’s standards with kids, as Dick just witnessed.

Dick shivered. The very thought of Nolan Drake, the most sinister man he knew, speaking in that tone just chilled Dick, down to his very bone. It was like Lucifer himself had a demon spawn of his own. The Anti-Christ.  _ “The rapture is upon us,”  _ Dick thought to himself.

It took Dick a moment to remember that he was at Gotham Academy for a reason. As Dick turned back towards the campus, a loud boom & a hot force pushed him back several feet. He slid across the grass, hitting his head against a nearby car on the curb. The car alarm bean to blar, along with every other car on the block. Dick stumbled back up onto his feet & witnessed as Gotham Academy had been blown up into flames.


	23. Watch the World Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the attack on Gotham Academy, Dick recovers at an ambulance with Detective Gordon.

Dick sat on the curb across the street of the burnt rubble that used to be Gotham Academy. He wore a thick blanket around his shoulders and watched as firemen, police officers & EMTs tended to nearby civilians, victims, and eyewitnesses. There was some people wounded by third degree burns, some with minor injuries. Some people were hysterical over the loss of their children. Some children were mourning over the loss of their parents.

Dick took a deep breath to recount the last hour & a half. The amount of sorrow & grief & misery brought upon the families all around Dick made him sick to his stomach. The destruction of the very thing that symbolizes the youth of the city & the young generation made Dick’s blood run cold.

And it was all because Nolan Drake wanted to prove a point.

Dick couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Nolan Drake would fall that low as to blow up a school. Not just a high school, but one with elementary student kids. One with kids too young to even be aware of what the world was really like. One where he knew one of the boys attending the school. Dick still couldn’t place whether the boy was actually Nolan Drake’s son. They looked alike enough.

“Grayson,” Dick heard his name called. He looked up to find Jim Gordon approach him from across the street. Dick sighed as he prepared himself for the interrogation Dick might endure.

“Hey,” Dick responded weakly.

Gordon took a deep breath and bent down. He sat beside Dick on the curb & cleared his throat. “How do you feel?”

Dick shrugged. He couldn’t describe his exact feeling. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “I feel like I should’ve done something.”

Jim shook his head. “There’s nothing you could’ve done, son.”

“Oh, but there is,” Dick explained. “Nolan Drake was here. He was right there, on the front yard of the campus. He was there with one bodyguard standing by his car. He stood right beside me. We actually spoke. I could’ve done something. I can fight, I could’ve taken him down. I could’ve stopped this from happening. I could’ve ended it all right now.”

“No, Dick, you couldn’t have.” Gordon said. “You would’ve been arrested for aggravated assault on public property, or that bodyguard would have gotten to you, or you would’ve been shot dead by Nolan Drake. There’s no telling whether or not he was armed. You played it safe by not doing anything.”

Dick nodded. He did have a point. Dick really didn’t consider whether Nolan was armed or not. He probably would have been shot if he did attack. Dick was going to, but then he remember why he didn’t.

“Gordon, Drake was with a kid.”

Jim Gordon looked back at Dick with attentive eyes. “Wait, what?”

Dick took a deep breath. “Some kid, one of the students, he ran up to us & hugged Nolan. They knew each other. They were family I think. I think it was his son.”

Jim stared at Dick. “Wow,” he said slowly. “Did you catch a name?”

Dick shook his head. “I didn’t, no.”

Jim nodded. “I’ll look into this, Dick.”

Dick nodded & smiled softly. “Thanks,” he said.

Just as  Jim Gordon stood up from the curb, Dick noticed a girl in tight leggings & a loose t-shirt run towards him from down the street. It wasn’t long until Dick recognized the red hair & the bright blue eyes he loved.

“Dick!” Barbara called as she ran to Dick. As he stood up to greet her, Barbara buried herself in Dick’s chest as she embraced him with a tight bearhug.

“Hey, Babs,” Dick breathed softly in her ear.

Barbara pulled back to look at Dick’s face. She brought a hand up to touch his face. “I came as soon as I heard.”

Jim stepped close. “Barbara, sweety, I told you to stay-”

“No, Dad,” Barbara said fiercely. “You didn’t let me see him when he was at the coffee shop explosion. You can’t keep me from him now. It’s not fair.”

Suddenly Barbara began to tear up. Her silent cry began to escalate into a heavy sob. “None of this is fair,” she cried.

Dick held Barbara close to his chest tighter. He rested her head beside his on his shoulder. He felt her warm tears on his neck. He stroked her hair & softly kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay, Barbara. This isn’t your fault.”

Barbara kept her head buried in Dick’s shoulder. “It’s my fault you came here, Dick. If it weren’t for me pressuring you to enroll, you wouldn’t have been here.”

Dick shook his head. “You didn’t pressure me, this was my decision,” he said. “I thought I could have a shot at a normal life. But everything I touch goes up into flames.”

Everyone was silent for a while. Jim stood nearby as Dick continued to hold Barbara. At this point, it wasn’t necessarily Dick consoling Barbara, but suddenly Barbara was consoling Dick, hugging him tighter.

“Have you heard from Bruce?” Barbara yet.

Dick shook his head. “Nope,” he said coldly.

Barbara nodded silently. She rested her head against Dick’s chest once more. Dick could feel his heart beat hard against his chest. Her breathing seemed to sync with his heartbeat.

Dick looked up at the mess around him. This is what his world had come to. He wouldn’t settle down. He couldn’t live as a normal teenager with a girlfriend & friends at a school. This wasn’t his future. His destiny was something different. He was forced into a war he didn’t wish to fight. Dick was forced into a war against havoc & chaos. He didn’t ask for this life, but it was the life that was dealt to him. He’d have to fight. No one else would. It was his war, now.

And with the Batman yet again not appearing at the time of need, Dick Grayson knew he had to take matters into his own hand. 


	24. I Let the Devil Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick decides to come clean to Barbara.  
> Contains sexual content.

A few days had passed since the Gotham Academy bombing. Bruce Wayne had talked to Dick about the situation. He apologized for not being there for Dick when he should have been, but claims to have had been busy with some business in Coast City. Dick didn’t care. Getting emotional comfort from Bruce wasn’t exactly his priority.

Alfred tended to Dick, feeding him soup & other stress relieving remedies. Dick disregarded the efforts and began to work out in the gym & run around the Wayne property. Dick appreciated the thought behind Alfred’s nursing, but in Dick’s mind, soup & tea wouldn’t fix a damn thing. Getting stronger would.

Barbara began to visit more & more after the bombing. She started to have this mindset of life being too short to not take advantage of the good things in it. It was difficult for Dick to consider himself a good thing in someone’s life, but...it was a good feeling. A sense of being wanted; it was something Dick had not experienced before.

Dick worked out his plan to get to Nolan Drake again. He would infiltrate the research facility providing Cobblepot & Nolan with their weaponry, & from there, he could stop the weapons operation & in turn, stop the city siege that Nolan was planning. But to get to Cadmus, the research facility, Dick would need to find the one who knew about Cadmus: Enigma.

Dick had already spoken to Jim Gordon about the text messages. He explained that the “Enigma” texter may have useful intel in regards to Nolan Drake’s weapons, but he made sure not to mention the name “Cadmus” to Gordon. Alarming the GCPD about a teenage sociopathic terrorist gaining chemical weapons from a military science research facility would raise way too many suspicions. However, Jim Gordon had enough to go with in order to help Dick with the texts.

Jim Gordon had his technical team in the department work on decrypting the source of the text messages. They couldn’t pinpoint the exact address, but Gordon managed to send Dick a street name in Coventry, passed the Upper East side of Gotham. Gordon advised Dick to check anywhere in a 5 block radius of the initial address.

Dick spent the morning with Barbara in the backyard of Wayne Manor. The back of the Manor consisted of a vast and open garden with a large field towards the edge of the garden. The garden was decorated with large trees with beautiful & exotic flowers, sculptures designed out of large bushes several feet tall taking the form of animals & people, & bushes of flowers set along the the walkways of the garden.

Dick led Barbara from the Manor towards a small patio with a glass ceiling that stood as a canopy with marble poles holding the glass up. The patio was decorated with a thin cement block which served as a table, & cushioned chairs surrounding 3 sides of the slab table with a long curved couch surrounding the other side. Dick sat Barbara down on the couch, which was incredibly cushioned & layered with throw pillows & a soft blanket with an intricate scenic landscape printed on it with authentic stitching. Barbara swung her legs onto the couch and laid on her side. She slid the blanket over her lower body & rested her head on the couch arm.

Dick sat beside Barbara’s legs and lifted them up to reset them over his lap. He began to caress Barbara’s calves. Dick took a deep breath and exhaled as he shut his eyes and rested his head against the back of the couch.

“Hmm,” Barbara moaned to herself. “You should massage my feet.”

Dick opened his eyes slowly & rolled them. With a slight smirk on his face, he went ahead & began massaging the feet resting beside his lap.

Barbara began humming to herself. “You’re so amazing, Dick. Really, you are.”

Dick shook his head softly. “No, not really,” he said meekly.

Barbara sat up and shifted her body so that her head was resting on Dick’s lab & her feet laid over the arm of the couch. “Dick, look...I did some digging.” This one statement made Dick’s heart skipped a beat. “I can’t believe it took me so long to realize it. But it’s you. You’re him. You’re the last living Flying Grayson. You’re the boy who I grew up watching when I was little. My dad always took me out to see you at the Haley Circus. At some point, he started calling you the Boy Wonder.”

Dick shook his head in embarrassment. “I’ve heard that one before.”

Barbara smiled. “What was it like? When you were jumping and flying, I mean.”

Dick took a moment to think about his answer. “I don’t know...I always loved it. I used to see it as a superpower. Whenever someone asked what power I wish I had, flying has always been at the top of my list. But I have to admit, I’ve learned to love falling too.”

“But wasn’t it scary when you first started, though? When you were so young?”

Dick shrugged. “Sure, when I first started. My parents trained me rigorously in acrobatics. But they always said, ‘You’ll never know if you can fly without taking the risk of falling.’”

Barbara nodded. “Wow, that’s amazing, Dick.” She shut her eyes, then opened them up again to ask another question. “If you were given the opportunity to perform again…”

“Yes,” Dick shot out. “Yes, a billion times yes. You can take the boy out of the circus, but you can’t take the circus out of the boy.”

Barbara laughed outloud. “Oh my god, Dick, that’s adorable.”

Dick covered his face, hoping Barbara wouldn’t notice it blush red. Barbara rose her head up close to Dick’s & continued. “You were such an inspiration to me. You showed me that anybody could soar in life. Your age didn’t matter, your background didn’t matter, nothing did, except the fact that you excelled in your passion. I believed that if you could do what you love & do it so amazingly, so could I. It made me want to get into law enforcement, like my dad, even though he’s totally against it. But I always knew if I loved it enough, I could TOTALLY become an officer, or a detective, or even a district attorney. You taught me that, & that was before I met your sexy self.”

Dick felt his face flush. “Wow...I didn’t know I meant that much to you.”

Barbara smiled & raised her hand to Dick’s cheek. “You changed my life then, & you changed my life now. You made me not only want to chase my dream, but you’re now showing me that I need to chase life. Live it to the fullest.”

Dick bit his lip. He reached up to his face and held Barbara’s hand in his. He looked down at it & felt his heart tug with a certain pain. Dick was getting the impression that Barbara wanted to live a more reckless life, & apparently HE was influencing this on her. He didn’t want that for Barbara. He promised her father he wouldn’t do that to her. She was all her father had left. But maybe if she knew the truth...she’d know better.

“Barbara, I’ve got to tell you something.”

Barbara sat upright over Dick’s lap to pay attention. Her bright blue eyes were lit wide open and stared right into Dick’s eyes. He couldn’t help but start to hesitate in telling her the truth. But it was probably better than letting this dangerous life chase her before she chased it.

“After I was orphaned, I met a girl at the orphanage. Cheyenne. She was my first real friend. We grew up together. We grew close. I don’t know...I might’ve loved her. Then she was finally adopted. She left. I didn’t have anybody left. I started to get lonely. I might have grown a little resentment towards her for abandoning me. Maybe I grew resentment towards everyone abandoning me. My parents, the circus, Cheyenne. I don’t know. But I started to get these ideas. I started to believe I would’ve been better off if my parents hadn’t died. I knew that if they hadn’t been killed, then I wouldn’t be in that sort of pain anymore.

“So I started to do a little research. I would go to the orphanage’s library, & I looked up a lot of stuff on the fire of the Haley Circus that killed my parents. It was the work of a mafia boss, Anthony Zucco. My resentment turned to a yearning for revenge. I wanted to kill Tony Zucco. I was 14 at the time. I was contemplating taking a grown man’s life. And I was going to go through it. I had a whole scheme planned. I managed to pinpoint where the mafia would meet every week to discuss business. I stole a kitchen knife from the mess hall. I snuck out one night with a map, a blade, & a whole lot of clouded judgement. I walked to this port, & stayed hidden for a while. I might’ve been sitting out in the cold humid air for no longer than an hour, but it felt like forever.

“Finally, a few men showed up. They were your typical street thugs you see roaming town. They waited by a few wooden crates for maybe ten minutes. Then a car pulled up. Out comes a few men, along with Zucco. They round up together & start talking. I had kept my distance for a few minutes. Maybe I was planning my strategy to get to them without being noticed. Maybe I was doubting myself.”

As Dick spoke, he began noticing the interest that took over Barbara’s eyes. The same interest that she held when he told her about his dad in the coffee shop. It comforted him that it wasn’t a look that screamed fear. Not yet, anyway. Dick continued. “I snuck around the perimeter of the port, & crawled my way towards the group. I hid behind their car, where no one was standing near. All the men had their backs to the car, & since I was small, I began to stand. No one saw me. I quietly crept to who I thought was Zucco, & stabbed his lower back. The man crumpled to the ground, but it wasn’t Tony. Just some other dude. Tony was in the center of the group of men.

“All the thugs pulled out their guns and aimed at me. It was the scariest moment of my life, hand to God. One of them goes ‘Boss, he’s just a kid.’ Another goes ‘Yeah, he fucked Leo up though!’ The guy I stabbed, who I assume was Leo, was screaming. Tony walked over to Leo & helped him up, but threw him to another guy. He told everyone to scatter. They asked why. He said ‘Because you fucking bastards didn’t check the ports to see if it was empty, & now we’ve got a kid out passed his bedtime.’

“So the thugs began to leave slowly. Soon it was just Tony & me. Tony asked my name. I shook my head. He asked how old I was. I shook my head again. He knelt down & asked if he had done something to me. I said ‘John & Mary Grayson.’ I was shocked to find that the names stuck to him. He knew they were the Flying Graysons. He claimed to have been a big fan of them. He said he knew who I was, & that he was sorry. ‘I took your parents & your life away from you. I took away some incredible artists from this world.’ It was sick to hear from him. Then he said, ‘But it’s just business.’

“He asked to see my knife. I shook my head. He held his hand out, thinking I was going to give it to him. He said, ‘You can either take it out from behind your back, or I’ll stick it farther into your back, kid. Nobody's gonna miss you.’”

Barbara gasped at this. To him, this was just another part of his childhood. He could only imagine what this sounded like to another person. “I took the knife & stabbed it right into his palm. Tony screamed. I yanked it right back out, & blood came squirting out. I stabbed him in his shoulder next. Yanked it right back out, more blood. Stuck it into his neck, yanked it out, even more blood. Then I stuck it in his face. Somewhere near his cheek, maybe his eye. I left the knife there. His body fell over from his knee, & I watched for maybe a few minutes as he bled out. I wanted to leave because it was nasty to watch, but then I considered what his men might do if they saw I actually killed the guy. So I ran away. The only person who knows what I did is the lady who ran the orphanage, Mother Louise, &...well, you.”

Barbara blinked as her mouth was slightly open out of pure awe. “Well,” she started slowly after a brief moment of silence. “I guess my dad doesn’t know about that.”

Dick shook his head. “I think he scraped the case on Zucco’s death. It’s probably best if it stays like that, because it would complicate things more.”

Barbara nodded. Dick took another deep breath and spoke. “When I was on the run, though, things got bad. Worse. I ended up being on the streets, & actually started hiding from police. I found my way down an abandoned subway station. There was this...underground society. Full of kids, all boys, all different ages. Some of them were, I don’t know, maybe 8 years old. Some were probably 20, & everything in between. There was guys with guns & starving children. Some kids were selling food like a market, but a lot of kids stole the food. Some of us fought in fight clubs to earn money for food.”

“What the fuck,” Barbara breathed to herself. “This was going on underneath our city?”

Dick nodded. “I was there for two years. I don’t know how long it was like that.” Dick cleared his throat. “There was one day...I was in this room, like a security guard’s office or something. I had made that my permanent home during my time there. I was sleeping. I wasn’t even sure whether it was day or night. It was hard to tell what time of the day it was. But I was asleep. Some guy barges into the office & strangles me. I’m kicking & screaming & scratching, but I’m slowly knocking out. I wake up, & I feel chains on my wrists holding me up, & something tight around my ankles. I was too weak to move. I couldn’t see, but then someone removes the bag over my head. I’m in a dirty, blood covered room, & I’m chained to the roof. Beside me are four guys to my right, & one to my left. Standing in front of me is Nolan Drake. He sort of ‘ran’ things in the Underground. He claimed to be a nice guy, but he was a psychopath for running shit the way he did. With fight clubs & mercenaries, & that was just the tip of the iceberg. We were in what he calls his ‘Playroom.’ There was a curtain behind him. He walked up to the kid on the farthest to my right & asked where ‘Carter Kingston’ was. 

“Now, I knew Carter, & I remember seeing him a few hours earlier walk into this other dark room. But I didn’t know where this room exactly was. The kid that Nolan asked had no idea who Carter Kingston was. Nolan removed a knife from the back of his waistband and slit the kid’s neck. He threw the knife to the ground and stepped to the next guy hanging. He asked if he knew where Carter was. He said no, but begged for his life. Nolan shook his head, walked back to the curtain, & came back with an axe. He asked the same question. The kid started crying, & before he could even say that he didn’t know where Carter was, Nolan swung the axe & chopped his head off. Nolan walked behind the curtain, & even though I couldn’t see it, I heard him drop the axe. He came out from behind the curtain with a sword. I mean a real life, long, Japanese ninja looking sword. A katana or something. He began shouting. ‘TELL ME WHERE CARTER FUCKING KINGSTON IS!’ The third kid yelled back, saying that he ran to the cage matches to hide. Nolan shook his head & said that his men checked there, & he lated liars. He swung the sword across the kid’s stomach, & I actually saw his guts pour out. He cried out in anger as he threw the sword against the wall. He went behind the curtain & I didn’t know what he’d pull out next. It was a fucking chainsaw. He ended up sawing open the fourth kid who didn’t know where Carter was. He went back behind the curtain, & came back with a shotgun.”

“But it was YOUR turn!” Barbara cried out in a shaky voice.

Dick nodded. “Yeah. He pointed the shotgun in my face, & said ‘If you don’t fucking know where that son of a bitch is, I will blow your brains out & feed your remains to the kids buying meat.’ I told him that I knew where Carter Kingston was, but that he’d have to unchain me so I could show him exactly where. Nolan went to the door and called out to two of his goons to come in & unchain me. They held me by the arms while Nolan stayed behind me with the shotgun. I walked them through the subway, towards the area that I was familiar with & I showed them the room. Nolan kicked the door down, and began shooting in the dark. After a few moments, Nolan stopped, & he heard the kid breathing. Nolan killed him. Turns out the kid had stolen food.”

Barbara’s breathing became strong & heavy. Dick could tell he had scared the hell out of her.  He sighed and shook his head. “I’m sorry I’m ruining this beautiful day right now with these stories, but you need to know this.”

“Why ARE you telling me all of this?” Barbara asked, holding back tears.

“I can’t lie to you anymore,” Dick said. “I care about you a lot, & as much as I want you in my life, I’m probably more of a danger to you than you realize. Your father told me to be careful with you because of everything that’s been going on. Nolan is out of the Underground. He’s the one behind these last two bombings, & the attack at the Olympus hotel. He’s planning something big against the city, & staying near me isn’t safe. He could come after me any second if he wanted to.”

“Dick, my father is a cop. If I tell him all of this, he could-”

“Barbara, your dad knows everything. I’ve been helping him, but the truth is, I don’t think the GCPD has the means to contain Drake. I’m doing what I can to stop him on my own. I’m going to do what it takes.”

Barbara shook her head. She sat up, off of Dick’s lap, & sat beside him. She looked into his eyes with her watery blue eyes. “Dick, you don’t HAVE to do anything. This isn’t your responsibility. Don’t be a vigilante. Let that Batman guy handle Nolan. You don’t have to play hero. You can start the life you wanted to start. You can live the normal life, with me by your side.”

Dick rubbed his face with both of his hands and sighed. He removed his hands. “This IS my responsibility. I escaped the Underground, & I let the Devil out with me. The Batman isn’t doing jack shit about this guy, & everytime I try to live a normal life, something blows up. Everything I touch bursts to flames.”

Dick wrapped his arm around Barbara & began to softly cry into her shoulder. “I can’t have you by my side, Babs. I can’t lose you to him.”

Barbara kissed Dick’s cheek and hugged him tighter. “It doesn’t matter whether or not you stop Nolan, Dick. This city will always have another Nolan.”

Dick nodded with his face still buried against Barbara’s shoulder. He agreed, the city would always have another crazy menace, whether it’s a petty thug, or another crime lord, or a mass terrorist. Gotham was Hell. Hell is home.

“Lately, it just feels like the city is meaner,” Dick started, “Wilder. Something is changing. Some nights I don’t recognize this city anymore.”

Barbara began to stroke the back of Dick’s head. “Yeah...I see it. Things always change.” Barbara pulled back from Dick to look him in the eyes. “But I don’t want US to change.”

Dick sighed. He reached for Barbara’s hand and squeezed tight. “I’m going to do this. Once Nolan Drake is dead, everything will be okay.”

Barbara shook her head. “Dick, you don’t need to kill him. You’re better than this. You can stop him without stooping down to his level.”

Dick let those words sink in. Was he truly better than that? Better than Nolan Drake? The man seemed to always be two steps ahead of Dick. He wasn’t sure if he could even beat the psycho. But he had to try. Someone did. Even if it meant taking another man’s life. It was easy the first time with nothing to lose. Dick could do it again.

“I need some time, Barbara. Just give me some time, & I’ll come home for you. I’ll come home & we can go somewhere. Anywhere. I just need you to let me do this.”

Barbara stared into Dick’s eyes with a sad look. He knew he was hurting her right now, but it was for the right reasons; he was sure of that. Barbara closed her eyes & sighed as a tear dropped down. Barbara looked back up at Dick. “Okay, Dick. I’ll be waiting. But please, don’t get yourself killed.”

Dick nodded. The two spent the remainder of their time sitting on that same couch. Barbara laid on Dick’s shoulder as Dick rested on her head. The two sat there & napped, holding each other until the sun set. After an owl began to hoot, Dick awoke. He sat there in silence, contemplating what he was about to do next. When his plan formulated, Barbara broke through his thoughts by shifting her positioning on him. Dick kissed her forehead, slowly waking Barbara up. She looked up at Dick, who looked down at her & smiled. Dick leaned in to kiss Barbara, who kissed passionately back. Barbara wrapped her arms around Dick’s neck and pulled his body close to her. He pressed his chest against hers, feeling her heart pound fast & heavy against his heartbeat. Barbara’s hands began to run through Dick’s hair, then slowly slid down his back, & underneath his shirt. She began to slide his shirt off from over his head, & as Dick threw it across the patio, Barbara removed her shirt too.

Dick’s heart pounded as his arms wrapped around Barbara’s back pulled her upper body close to his. He kissed her neck and shoulders. He felt her hands move his up towards the strapping of her bra. He slowly unhooked the bra & continued to kiss Barbara’s neck. She moaned softly as she removed the bra from between them. Barbara’s hands reached down towards the waistband of Dick’s jeans & pulled them closer to her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hands towards Dick’s crotch. She felt his erection and rubbed it softly. Dick pulled back from Barbara’s shoulder and looked into her eyes. “Are you sure?” he breathed softly.

“Yes,” Barbara answered. “I want this.”

Dick began to unbuckle his pants. He stumbled on the buttoning of his jeans, nervous about what was about to happen. Dick slid the jeans off & threw them onto the ground. Barbara began to slide her skirt off of her legs and onto the floor as well. Barbara sat up & sat close to Dick. The two sat across from each other on their knees for a brief moment. Barbara’s hands reached down inside of Dick’s briefs & began rubbing up & down Dick’s cock. Dick shut his eyes slowly & felt Barbara’s other hand push down against Dick’s chest. He laid himself down as he felt Barbara’s body slowly climb over him. He felt her slide his underwear briefs off from between his legs & his cock erect up. He felt it rub between Barbara’s thighs, sliding close towards Barbara’s slightly wet underwear. He felt her move back & forth over his cock, riding him slowly. He slid his hands up over his thighs, onto her butt, then her hips. He held her as she leaned down to kiss Dick’s lips, then his neck, then back up to his lips. As they kissed intensely, Barbara removed her underwear. Dick felt them as they slid off of Barbara’s legs, over his, & were kicked onto the floor. Barbara sat back up & carefully placed herself over Dick. She let out a quiet moan, then threw her upper body onto Dick’s. He held her body close to his as he felt her heavy breathing against his neck & her heavy heartbeat against his chest. Barbara began to kiss Dick again as her hips slowly began to ride against Dick again. She started off slow, but slowly began to go faster, moaning softer, but then louder. She began to bounce against Dick, whose hands went from her hips to her chest, then down to her butt, & back to her hips. 

Dick held her tight & readjusted himself underneath Barbara’s legs and began moving up & down rapidly. He pounded against Barbara, whose body started to shake as he penetrated her. She moaned his name aloud, which made Dick laugh in his head. Her hands were pressed down against his chest, then she reached up and began rubbing her own chest. Barbara’s hands began to run through her hair as she bit her lip, & then she screamed loud. She pressed back down on Dick’s chest & began gasping. The clapping between the two hips grew louder & louder as Dick continued, & as Barbara let out another, much longer scream, Dick gasped softly to himself & rose up, pressing his face against Barbara’s chest. She sat on him and slowly began to thrust her hips back & forth again as her body began to shiver orgasmically. 

Finally, she slowly lay down over Dick’s body, who had laid back against the pillows. Dick reached over and pulled the blanket over the two incredibly warm, hot, & sweaty bodies to keep them from chilling in the fall night. He wrapped his arms around Barbara, then placed a kiss on her lips, & then her forehead. He then laid his head back and sat wide awake, wishing this very moment would never end.


	25. Enigma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick tracks down the mysterious Enigma hacker, but finds a more disturbing scene.

Dick rode his motorcycle through Coventry. He parked his bike against the curb of a street & shut off the ignition. He turned to the street sign & read the faded out address.  _ “7869 Poser Avenue.” _ Dick had spent the majority of his morning driving up & down the streets, checking different buildings along a five block radius of the address Jim Gordon sent. Very few were actually occupied buildings. None of them had been apartments yet.

Dick nodded and looked up at the building he had parked in front of. It was an apartment building that was run down with sketchy residents, questionable construction work & sent a brief wave of comfort to Dick. It alarmed him that this had brought his senses to a calm.

Dick stepped off of the bike and walked passed a beggar sitting beside the apartment entrance. Dick stopped and removed his wallet from his back pocket. He removed a five dollar bill from the wallet & handed it to the hobo, who nodded in thanks. Dick continued to make his way through the building.

Dick carefully crept his way through the old creaky lobby of the apartment. He glanced up at the stairwell of the building, then back to the lobby door. A few scraggly dressed men & women sat around, sickly coughing on one another. Some of their hair were falling out, while some scratched their skins so much that patches of the skin fell off.

Dick shuddered softly to himself, & walked towards the mailboxes. He scanned each name on the boxes, attempting to find some sort of clue. Dick noticed a peculiar name on the mailbox for the room 384. It read E. Nygma.

_ “E. Nygma,” _ Dick thought to himself.  _ “Enigma.”  _

Dick shook his head. “Son of a bitch, you can’t hide from me,” he mumbled to himself.

Dick began to swiftly step up the stairs from the lobby to the first floor. He continued on to the second floor, then stopped at the third. He sped his way through the hall towards the door with the number 384 on it. It took Dick a few minutes, but he finally got to the door on his right. Dick stepped close to the door and quietly pressed his ear against it. There was a soft humming emitting from the apartment, but generally no noise.

Dick nodded to himself, readying himself for his breach into the room. He took a few steps back, stretched his legs out a little bit, and steadied himself. Dick took two long, strong steps towards the door, rose his leg up & kicked the door down with a fierce force.

As Dick busted through the door, he quickly looked up to check if anybody was ready to attack him. Instead, as Dick slowly stood up from the busted down door, he saw rows of desktop computers being operated in cubicle-like stations. There were eight users with four on the left & four on the right with the users facing one another. The apartment itself lacked actual furniture except for the desks & chairs that the computer users were using. The entire time Dick stood there observing the strange  scene, no one had noticed him.

Dick slowly stepped towards the people on the computer. Each one had a large headset worn over their ears while they mindlessly tapped away on the keyboards. Their computer screens showed nothing but a black display with green codings that Dick didn’t fully understand. He looked into the person’s face closest to him. She was an Asian girl with straight black hair & pale skin. SHe had a small freckle underneath her right eye. Dick stepped close to see if she would react. She didn’t.

Dick took a step back and began to walk to the next cubicle over, where a girl who looked exactly like the last girl sat. Same Asian with the same hair & the same skin & the same freckle. She was a twin.

Dick shook his head in amazement and continued to move around the cubicles. He had seen an Indian boy who couldn’t have been older than 10 years old. Next to him was an absurdly boney albino boy, who kept coughing into his fist. DIck took a few steps away from him, then circled to the other side of the cubicles. The one farthest from the front door on the other side of the cubicles was a girl with short purple hair. Next to her was an obese Hispanic boy, struggling to work in the small confined space. Next to him was a young girl with thick glasses & blonde hair tied back in a pony tail. Next to her was a black boy with cornrows going down his head & an incredibly heavy breathing pattern. Maybe asthma. None of these people noticed Dick circling them.

Suddenly, as Dick took a few steps away from the computer cubicles, he bumped into something. He spun around quickly to find a tall slender boy standing over Dick. He didn’t look too old, but he was definitely a little older than Dick. He wore thick dark framed glasses and wore a green t-shirt & dark jeans. Dick’s eyes traced up & down the stranger’s body & noticed a small tattoo on the inside of his wrist. It was a green question mark symbol.

The stranger smiled. “Like the ink?” he asked in a deep voice, holding his arm up to show the tattoo more clearly to Dick. “I love it. Can’t explain why. I’m still trying to figure out why I love it. I love that kind of thing, don’t you? When you know you should know something, but you can’t exactly put your finger on it, so you’re left wondering for a really, really long time? Sort of like being stuck on a level of a video game. You KNOW you should know how to beat it, but you can’t really do it, & so you’re stuck for a few days, which turn into weeks, months, then wouldn’t you know it, you beat the game four years later. The best questions are answered later.”

Dick stared at the guy in pure confusion. The guy spoke ridiculously fast. “What?” he asked softly, utterly unsure of how to react.

The stranger laughed. “Oh, I’m sorry Richard. I should have already introduced myself. My name is Ed, I’m the head of Enigma Corporated.” He held his hand out towards Dick.

Dick stared at the hand with a raised eyebrow, then up at Ed, then back at the hand. He shook his head. “You sent me back,” Dick said.

Ed nodded. “Oh, shoot, you’re right, I almost forgot I even did that! See, I had this whole elaborate scheme. I was going to help you figure out what you wanted to know: who blew up the coffee shop? But of course that answer was a given: Nolan Drake. The smug bastard has left marks all over the city, footprints that one can easily trace back to him, although nobody has been really doing a good job of that, considering the fact that the guy blew up a school not too long after the coffee shop. Anywho, with you on the case, I figured you’d go straight to your buddy down at the GCPD to track down my texts, which you did. Those boys in blue now have an encrypted bug in their servers thanks to their poorly trained technical team. I’ll be using that to hack into their mainframe to gather intel on bigger issues while you’re hunting down Penguins and Dragons. ‘Bigger issues?’ you ask. ‘Like what?’ Well, there’s a few questions all of humanity wants answered. Some ask ‘What is the meaning of life?’ That’s 42, of course. Others ask ‘What does it mean to truly love?’ That, I have absolutely no time for. I ask more important questions; questions all of Gotham wants answered. Who is the Batman?”

Dick stared at Ed, trying to put together all that he had said in the last 15 seconds. Ed stepped closer to Dick. “Tell me, Richard Grayson, who is the Batman?”

Dick stepped back from Ed, shrugging. “I don’t know, man. I’m just here about Cadmus.”

Ed laughed a maniacal laugh. “Don’t lie to me, you inbred. I can end your very existence right here, right now. With the snap of my fingers, I’ll have all of Gotham City’s police forces tailing you, arresting the ‘perpetrator’ of the terrorist attacks that is Richard Grayson. I will release the great untold story of how a 14 year old orphan avenged his late parents by murdering a mafia leader in cold blood. I will release the location of the only human being that can account for your sins, sitting in her old retirement home down on 62nd. I can do it all, Richard. I can be God if I wanted to. I have the means to do it all, just like my father did all those years ago, may he rest in peace. I can control your fate, but I can also leave it alone if you tell me is who the Batman is.”

Dick’s heart pounded with rage. His fists became clammy and sweaty. This guy knew Dick. He knew his past. He knew his secrets. Ed had done his research. Dick shut the thoughts out of his mind. Nothing could get out. No secrets would be revealed. Dick had nothing to give the man. “Look, Edward,” Dick started.

Before Dick could continue, Ed’s eyes stretched wide open, creating an alertness that truly startled Dick. “DO NOT CALL ME EDWARD!” Ed began to take deep, heavy breaths as he spoke. “HE DIED, A LONG TIME AGO, IN THE HANDS, OF THE, BATMAN. HE WILL PAY, AND SUFFER, AND NOTHING, WILL STOP ME, FROM GETTING MY REVENGE.”

Dick felt chills down his spine. This guy truly creeped Dick out. “Sorry, ok. Ed. Listen. You know me. You know who I am & what I’ve done. You know I can’t tell you that revenge isn’t good, because then I’d be a hypocrite. I understand that you want to take revenge on the Batman, I do. A lot of people don’t like him. I personally am not fond of the guy either. But he’s fixated on me. He’s shown up to the most inconvenient times to bother me. But that’s it, that’s all he’s done. I have no clue who the guy is.”

Ed stared Dick down with a crazy stare. Dick noticed his eyes were sort of milky. Ed looked sick. His eyes were sunken, and he had dark circles below the eyelids. Ed nodded slowly. “I want to believe you, I do.”

Dick cut off Ed before he could say anything else. “Look, please, just tell me about Cadmus. Then I’ll go.”

Ed eyed Dick suspiciously. Dick had an unsettling feeling in his chest. It felt as though his stomach had flipped upside down. “I am a beast of iron laying in a tunnel of darkness. I can only attack when pulled back. What am I?”

Dick shook his head. “No, dude, not right now.”

Ed repeated the question. “I am a beast of iron laying in a tunnel of darkness. I can only attack when pulled back. What am I?”

Dick sighed. “Cadmus. Where can I find Cadmus?”

Ed stepped closer. As he repeated the question, his face became contorted & his voice raised louder & more aggressive. “I am a BEAST OF IRON! I am laying in a tunnel of DARKNESS! I can only attack when PULLED BACK! WHAT AM I!”

Dick shoved Ed away. “Back off, man!”

Ed reversed the shove & placed Dick in a headlock. Before Dick could react, he felt a cold metal piece press against his head. “A BULLET, MR. GRAYSON! THE ANSWER IS A BULLET!” Ed’s voice began to reach high & low octaves, as though he were a strange cartoon character. Dick was truly frightened. “I’m sorry, but the way this game works is that you have to answer the riddle. But since you are too dull-witted to even hazard a guess, I’ll ask you another question: WHO. IS. THE BATMAN!”

Dick swung his leg backward underneath Ed’s groin & kicked high up. The psychotic riddler fell to the ground, clutching his groin with his free hand. His hand holding the gun weakly rose up towards Dick. Dick swung his leg back across the wrist of the armed hand, kicking the gun in the air. It landed several feet away. Before Ed could reach for the lost weapon, Dick threw his leg back and thrusted it against Ed’s stomach, then his face. Ed Nygma was knocked out.

Dick steadied his heavy breathing & walked over to the gun. He picked it up & placed it in the back of his jeans’ waistband. He turned back towards the room, where each of the computer hackers were staring back at Dick. Their headsets were finally removed.

“Uh,” Dick grunted. He cleared his throat. “It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt any of you.”

Each one looked silently down at Ed & back up at Dick. One of the Asian twins suddenly stood up & walked over to Dick & embraced him in a strong hug. She whispered something to his ear, but he couldn’t understand the language she spoke. He managed to pick out the word  _ arigato,  _ which he thought meant “thank you.”

Dick pulled back from the Asian girl & nodded. He turned back to the rest of the hackers. “I don’t know what he did to you guys, but he won’t hurt you again. I’ll make sure of that.”

The hackers silently glanced back at each other, & then slowly, one by one, each of them stood up and quietly left the apartment. As each one passed Dick, he nodded to them with a small smile. He watched as they exited the door and looked all around themselves, as though unaware of where they were this entire time. Had Ed Nygma kept these hackers prisoners? Did he drug them?

Dick sighed as he felt he had gained nothing from the afternoon. He had come to find out what Enigma knew about Cadmus. Instead, he found a mad man & his secret hostages, but nothing on the matter Dick was interested in.

“A-hem,” called a girl’s voice from the back of the room. The cough startled Dick. He turned towards the sound to see the purple haired hacker, standing beside her computer with her arms crossed. “That was dope,” she said.

Dick blinked in confusion. He looked down at Ed’s unconscious body & shrugged. “Thanks,” he responded meekly.

The purple haired girl nodded softly. She waved her hand. “Harper,” she said. “I’m Harper.”

Dick looked up & down Harper’s person. She wore a black leather jacket, fit for a woman’s body. Underneath she wore a dark blue crop top & tight black denim jeans. She placed her body weight on her right leg and stood with her arms crossed against her chest. This girl had the appearance of a normal girl, or rather, one who wasn’t held a prisoner staring at a blank computer screen. “I’m Dick,” he called back. He slowly began to approach her. “So...what did Ed do to you guys?”

Harper shrugged. “He used shock therapy to get us to become his obedient slaves. He’s been making us hack into several servers to leave encrypted messages. I don’t know who those went to, & I don’t really give a fuck either.”

Dick nodded. He stood beside the computer, approaching her at a safe distance. “You weren’t influenced by the shock therapy.”

Harper shook her head. “Faked the whole thing.”

“Wow,” Dick said. “Impressive.” He turned to the body laying by the door. “So why are you still here?”

Harper sighed. “Well, Dick, I’m a pretty good hacker. We all were. And I overheard Ed mention a guy named Drake.”

“Do you know him?”

Harper scoffed. “He kidnapped my little brother.”

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. “Oh my god,” he breathed.

Harper nodded. “Yeah. I know. I lost him a year ago, maybe. His name was...is...Cullen. One night, Cullen & I were roaming town trying to find a place to stay. Suddenly these big guys with guns come out of an alley & start beating me up. Cullen tried to run away, but then some guy comes out and grabs him. He starts screaming, & I hear the son of a bitch say ‘Don’t worry, Daddy Drake has you.’”

Dick shuddered. “Jesus Christ. I had no idea he kidnapped people like that.”

Harper nodded. “Yeah. I was determined to find him. I didn’t know where he had taken Cullen. I started sneaking to different places with wifi & hacked into surveillance cameras. I wanted to see if I could tail that Drake guy, but got nowhere. Ed found me from my different hacks, & he kidnapped me & brought me here.”

“Hmm,” Dick hummed. “So Ed tracked all of these people.”

“Yeah,” Harper said. “And I never got to find Drake, or my little brother.”

Dick nodded softly. “Well, Nolan Drake has made a name for himself. He’s already attacked the city on numerous occasions.”

“The subway explosion, the riot at Olympus hotel, the coffee shop explosion, then Gotham Academy.”

“He’s gone way too far,” Dick said. “But I’m going to stop him.”

“Cadmus,” Harper said.

“Yeah, I need to find Cadmus. I find them, I can stop them from providing Nolan Drake with anymore weapons.”

Harper glanced down at her computer. She slowly looked back up at Dick. “I can find them.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Can you really?”

Harper nodded. She sat down at the seat in front of the computer. She began to type away, exiting the black & green screen & open up a desktop screen. Harper began to type away on a GPS server. Dick watched as the GPS shifted across the map rapidly, but then slowly began to fix itself at a point.

“Grayson!” Dick heard Ed call his name. Dick reacted swiftly, removing the gun from the back of his pants & aiming towards Ed. Ed was suddenly up on his feet & charged at Dick. Dick shot a full round of bullets, grazing Ed’s shoulder, then shooting his stomach. Ed fell to the ground and began crying in agony.

Dick turned back to Harper. “People might start showing up soon,” Dick said.

Harper nodded, staring at the computer screen. “Yeah, yeah,” she mumbled. “Almost there.”

Dick watched as Ed began to crawl to him. His body was bleeding out, leaving a red crimson trail across the hardwood floor. Dick took a small step away from the slow crawling menace. Dick turned back to Harper, who had suddenly began writing down numbers on a sticky note. She handed the note to Dick. “Come on, let’s go,” she said.

Dick took the note & grabbed Harper’s hand & led her across the room, but before they could get far, Ed’s wrapped his hand around Harper’s ankle. She yanked her leg hard, but Ed wouldn’t let go. Harper kicked Ed’s face with her free foot, knocking him out. Dick & Harper ran through the apartment.

As they ran through the halls, different residents began poking their head out of their doors. “Pipe down!” One old cranky man yelled. “Quit with the fucking banging!” cried an old lady.

Dick & Harper continued to run down the stairs of the apartment, but then finally found their way out onto the street. Dick heard police sirens wailing through the streets. He cursed silently to himself & led Harper down an alley.

Suddenly Harper yanked her hand away from Dick’s grip. “Okay, I’m good now,” she spat harshly.

Dick turned & looked at her with a puzzled look. Why had she suddenly become cold? “Okay,” he said softly. He looked down at the note that Harper had handed him. “So what’s this?” he asked, looking at the numbers.

“Coordinates,” Harper answered. “These are the coordinates to Cadmus’ base. It’s located somewhere out by Metropolis.”

Dick nodded. “Metropolis,” he said to himself.

“You realize that Cadmus is a military base?” Harper asked. “You won’t get in there easily.”

Dick nodded. “I know. But I’m a hell of a fighter.”

Harper shook her head. “Your fists are nothing compared to advanced military weapons. That base is top secret; who knows what they have in there?”

“Okay, fine,” Dick said. “So what do you suggest I do?”

Harper bit her lip, staring Dick down. She seemed to be conjuring up a plan. “Well,” she started, “first you need backup. Going in alone is certain death. Go in with a few people to cover you. You’re also going to need blueprints of the place in order to know exactly where you’re going.”

Dick nodded. “Okay, that makes sense.” He glanced down at the sticky note that Harper gave him. He ripped it in half and stuck the half with the coordinates for Cadmus in his pocket. He held the other half in his hand and nodded to Harper. “Do you have a pen?”

Harper raised her eyebrow. She pulled one out of her pocket and handed it to Dick. “Why?”

Dick began writing his phone number on the ripped sticky note. “I’m giving you my number. If I’m going to pull this off, I’m going to need someone to help me along the way.”

As Dick handed Harper the pen & phone number, Harper shook her head. “No, man, nuh-uh. No way. I’m not getting sucked into this. Nope, no way.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Harper, you’re a smart girl. You know what you’re doing. You said it yourself, I need backup. I can get someone else in the field with me, but I want you to be my eyes & ears.”

“Like...a spy with an earpiece?”

Dick shrugged. “Sure, yeah, like a spy with an earpiece.”

Harper sighed, shaking her head. “You’re fucking crazy, you know that?”

Dick nodded. “Yeah. Every now & then I get the feeling that I’ve totally lost my mind. But...I think it’s a great feeling.”

Harper sighed softly. “Okay,” she said. “I guess I can help. But I want a guarantee I won’t be hurt.”

Dick’s mind traced towards Cheyenne & Barbara. He felt his heart sting for a brief moment. Dick shook the feeling off & nodded. “I promise you, I won’t let you get hurt,” Dick said, immediately wishing he hadn’t made a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep.


	26. Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick decides to recruit Roy to help him break into the Cadmus facility.

A few days had passed since Dick rescued Harper Row from Ed Nygma’s hands. Dick was sitting in his bed, working away on his laptop. He was researching all that he could about the Cadmus building. Harper had managed to email him the blueprint files for the building. Dick was studying the fence that surrounded the entire base, which was a few hundred yards away from the actual building. The fence didn’t seem to be much of a problem; Dick figured he’d either go over, under, or through the fence. He was prepared for whichever. Once passed the fence, Dick had to be on the lookout for sentries up in watchtowers across the base. As long as Dick got passed those, he wouldn’t be sniped. He would then have to make his way to the entrance, where he planned to pose as an employee attending work late at night. Of course, Dick would need a fake employee’s I.D., but he was sure Harper would be of good assistance on that. Once Dick was able to make his way inside of the campus, he would proceed to search the building for the laboratories that were responsible for creating the weapons for Nolan Drake, & work from there.

Dick felt comfortable with his plan of action. All he needed was someone to cover his six searching Cadmus. Only one person came to Dick’s mind.

Dick stepped onto his motorcycle and began to rev its engine. Before he pulled out of the driveway, he removed his phone from his pocket and scrolled through his contact list. It was a short list. Dick pressed on the number he was searching for & called the number. The phone rang a few times before finally being answered.

 _“Yeah?”_ Roy said as he answered the phone call.

“Roy,” Dick said. “Hey man, what’s up? Where are you right now?”

 _“Um,”_ Roy said, followed with a long pause. _“I’m doing something right now.”_

Dick rolled his eyes. “Okay, well, I need to speak to you. It’s really important. I need your help.”

 _“Can this wait, like, at least a day, Dick?”_ Before Dick could respond, Dick heard a female’s voice in the background shout his name. _“Hi Dick! It’s Zatanna, Roy is here at the shop!”_

Dick shook his head softly. “Alright Roy, I’m heading over now.”

* * *

Dick drove through Gotham City until he passed through familiar streets. He was having difficulty remembering where Zatanna’s shop was, but eventually Dick pulled down onto the old deserted street where the shop was located. The atmosphere brought about the same eerie feeling down Dick’s spine as the first time he arrived.

Dick parked his motorcycle & stepped off from over the bike. He walked across the street to the shop, which had a closed sign hanging. Dick shook his head and stepped up to the door. He pushed the door open a little stronger than necessary. As he stepped inside, he realized what he had done wrong.

The dim lit room was suddenly pitch black as the candles surrounding the shop’s interior went out. Dick heard humming continue in the dark towards the left. Dick pulled out his phone & switched on the flashlight application. He turned the light to the front, where Roy & Zatanna sat across from one another holding hands. Zatanna’s head was bent low as she chanted softly. Roy’s head was also bent low, but he wore a red baseball cap which made it hard to recognize him even more.

Dick slowly shut the front door behind him. He was worried they would be pissed about the candles going out by the swift opening of the door, but they were still in a trance. Dick decided that maybe he should wait before talking to Roy.

Would Roy really want to accompany Dick out to Metropolis in order to stop Nolan? It wasn’t Roy’s agenda; would Roy really go all out in order to help Dick? He managed to be a great help after all that happened with Olympus. Sure, everything Roy did was questionable, with the tech he was using & the bow & arrows. But did that make him untrustworthy? Roy might have his own secrets, but...Dick had his as well.

Suddenly Zatanna gasped loudly, inhaling a large amount of air. She gasped as though she couldn’t breath. Roy looked up, waking from his trance, & rushed around the table to her side. “Zatanna!” he cried.

Dick rushed over to the other side of Zatanna. “Shit,” he murmured to himself as Zatanna’s body began to shake uncontrollably. Her limbs began shivering & spazzing into a seizure. Dick stepped behind Zatanna & reached around her torso. “Roy, grab her legs!”

Roy bent down and gripped both legs in his arms. Together, the two lifted the witch’s body onto the table, which began to shake along with Zatanna’s body. Dick repositioned himself to the left side of her body, trying to get a good grip on her wrist. He felt for a pulse but felt nothing. He reached for her neck but also felt nothing. He looked around, trying to figure out what to do. Dick was panicking. He was out of ideas.

Suddenly, Zatanna’s body stopped shaking.

Dick stared down at the body, then looked back up at Roy, who stared back at him. They both then looked back down at Zatanna’s body, which remained still. Dick placed his hand slowly on her neck. There was still no pulse.

“Shit,” Dick hissed, yanking his hand back. He stepped away from the table, breathing hard.

“She’s not dead,” Roy said. “She can’t be.”

“She is, man, her heart stopped beating!”

“NO!” Roy cried. “She was looking for Jim! She felt his presence & was trying to pinpoint where he was! She almost had him! She didn’t tell me where he was though!”

Dick shook his head. “Dude, I’m sorry, I really am. But I think she might have overdone it this time.”

Suddenly Roy was the one gasping. He shuddered hard breaths, trying to fight back the cries. His voice began to choke. “Dick, I need to find Jim. She was the only one who could help me. Without her…” Roy let out a loud roar & slammed his fist into a table top beside him. It broke in half, straight down the middle. Glass sculptures & other miscellaneous things topled to the ground and shattered, just like Roy’s own hope.

Dick stepped close to Roy & slowly opened his arms out. Roy stepped to Dick & rested his head on Dick’s shoulder and began to cry. This is who it was. This is who Roy was searching for in Gotham. And it broke Roy’s heart.

“TO SOW DRAGON’S TEETH!” Zatanna suddenly called out from the table as her body shot upward like a spring. Dick & Roy turned to look at her in complete shock.

Zatanna slowly turned to look at the two boys. “Whoa,” she mumbled.

“Oh my god, you were dead,” Dick said.

Zatanna sighed. “It happens,” she said nonchalantly.

Roy stepped close to the table. “Zatanna, did you see anything?”

Zatanna nodded. “Yeah, um, it was a bright white room…& there was a light shining down on my face. There was a lot of loud noises, like buzzing & hummings. But then I heard a voice say ‘to sow dragon’s teeth.’”

Roy turned to Dick. “‘To sow dragon’s teeth?’”

Dick thought about the phrase. He had read it somewhere in a book when he was younger. He was trying to remember the book. It was a mythology book. It mentioned some Greek heroes in mythology, one of which fought a water dragon, who then was ordered by Athena to sow the teeth of the dragon into the ground. Dick tried to remember the name of the Greek hero…

“Cadmus,” Dick said.

Roy & Zatanna looked at each other, then back at each other. They turned back to Dick. “What?” Roy asked.

“There was this dude in Greek mythology. He, like, slayed some dragon. Athena, some goddess, she told him that he should sow the dragon’s teeth into the ground. The hero was named Cadmus.” Dick sighed. “It’s also a military science base.”

Roy slowly turned to Zatanna. “Cadmus...is a military science base? That’s where Jimmy is?”

Zatanna nodded. “I guess. I mean, ‘to sow dragon’s teeth,’ that’s a really specific phrase. It can’t mean anything.”

Roy looked down at the ground, staring in deep thought. He looked up at Dick. “Do you know where Cadmus is?”

Dick nodded. “Metropolis.”

Roy sighed. Dick remembered the story that Roy told him about his older brother. He was a cop in Metropolis. Was that who Roy was looking for…?

Dick cleared his throat. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, Roy. I’m planning a heist to get into Cadmus. They’re supplying Nolan Drake with chemical weapons & I want to cut off their supply. But I can’t do it alone.”

Roy nodded. “I hear you. I’ll get my gear ready, then we can talk details.”

Dick nodded in agreement, and began to led Roy to the door. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, then turned back to Zatanna.

Zatanna was sitting on the table still with her legs crossed. She was wearing the same skinny jeans & boots. Her white blouse was still covered in a black blazer, & she continued to give Dick that same seductive look she once gave him long ago. Dick had genuinely felt attracted to her for a brief moment when meeting her. Then he found Cheyenne. Then John Constantine found them. Dick just had to ask. “Why did you send Constantine after us?”

Zatanna stared at Dick, then blinked. “Wait, what?”

Dick slowly stepped towards the witch. “Why the hell did you send John Constantine after us that night? You knew exactly where we were going, & you knew exactly who I was looking for that night, & you knew who she was with that night. You told me not to go, & asked me to have Constantine to check the place out. You knew I wouldn’t, and so you took the liberty of calling him yourself, & had him try to kill us all!”

Dick lunged at Zatanna & grabbed her by the collar of her blazer. “Whoa, what the fuck, dude!” Zatanna cried. “What are you talking about?”

“Dick!” Roy called from the door.

Dick hissed, ignoring Roy’s call for attention. “Why did you send that son of a bitch after us, huh? You ruined my life. I lost my chance of ever finding her again!”

Zatanna brought her hands up onto Dick’s shoulders & jolted him. “Dick, please, just listen to me!” Dick felt his racing heartbeat slow down. He breathed slowly and heavily, & finally calmed himself. He nodded, allowing Zatanna to speak. “I didn’t send Constantine after you. I had a one night stand with that douchebag, & we made a deal; he would leave me alone & I’d advertise his practice. I never called him again, so I sure as hell wouldn’t have called him for a job.”

Dick stared at Zatanna in her eyes. He watched her pupils, her nose, her lips, her eyebrows, just about every aspect of her face was traced by Dick. He couldn’t sense a lie in her words. He shook his head. “Fuck,” he whispered to himself. “I’m so sorry…”

Zatanna rubbed her hands over Dick’s shoulders and slowly pulled him close to her. She rested his head onto her shoulder. Dick shut his eyes and began to cry quietly. Zatanna continued to rub Dick’s shoulders & cooed in a soothing tone.

Roy cleared his throat from the door. “Dick, I’m gonna be outside.” Roy walked out the door and shut it behind him.

Dick slowly rose his hands up Zatanna’s back & pulled her close to him. “I’m so sorry,” he said softly through shuddery breaths. Zatanna tried to pull away, but Dick pulled her back to him. “I thought I was happy,” he started. “I deluded myself into believing that I was fine, that everything was okay after Chinatown. I managed to just forget about that crazy night but never really coped with it properly. It never really dawned on me that, after all these years, after finally finding Cheyenne, I might have lost her again for good. And I don’t know for certain. It drives me nuts. I have another girl in my life, & she’s great, but...I don’t know if I’m able to move on from Cheyenne.”

Zatanna stayed silent for what felt like a few minutes to Dick. He was unsure why he had suddenly opened up to her, but he had. He spilled his heart out, letting out everything he had kept bottled up inside for so long. He hadn’t even realized what he was feeling until right now.

Finally, Zatanna spoke. “You...love Cheyenne. Right?” Dick softly nodded. “Okay,” Zatanna said. “You love her. I can see that. You lost her that night. I don’t know what John did to you & her that night. I don’t know what happened to her. But it doesn’t matter. You were willing to go through hell to find her, & you did. You lost her again, & now you want to find her again. You were willing to choke me to do it. You were going to kill for the one you love.”

A sudden flashback from Dick’s dark past came forward in his mind. Dick shook it out of thought. Zatanna was right. Dick was willing to cross any line for those that he loved. Even Cheyenne. “I just need to know where she is now,” he said softly. “I just need to know that she’s okay.”

Zatanna nodded. “I understand. I’m sure she’s fine, wherever she is right now.”

Dick looked up at her. “Do you think you could...like...I don’t know, maybe try &...like, track her down?” Zatanna stared back at Dick with sad eyes. Dick pressed on. “Can’t you, like, search for her life force or something, like you did last time…?”

Zatanna shook her slowly. “I think it’d be best if you did this on your own, Dick. I may not be able to help this time.”

Dick nodded. He let his tears roll down his cheeks; he didn’t care anymore. He was going to try, one last time again, to search for Cheyenne. Dick said goodbye to Zatanna & thanked her, and stepped out of the shop.


	27. For Cheyenne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick finds Rachel Roth & discovers that Cadmus made a move on her home.

Dick rode his motorcycle down the road as the sun set behind the city skyline. As he drove, time felt like it was slowing down. It felt as though he was stuck in time, in a never ending moment. A moment where suddenly all he could think about was Cheyenne Freemont. All that he could wonder of was whether or not he could find her again. He began to cry about the possibility of never finding his childhood love.

_ “Stop,” _ Dick thought to himself.  _ “You have Barbara, now.” _

_ “But it doesn’t mean that Cheyenne means nothing anymore.” _

As the inner conflict within himself grew more and more intense, he slowly began to become more and more frustrated. He almost didn’t notice the long yellow police tape pulled across the entire block in front of him.

Dick pulled the handle back, braking the bike to an abrupt stop. He slowly parked the bike on the curb to the left & sat up from the bike. He turned back to look across the street. The warehouse that Dick assumed was supposed to be across the street was completely burnt to the ground. The foundation was completely destroyed. The building itself was reduced to charcoal & rubble. The alleyway was blocked off as well by yellow tape.

“Oh my god,” Dick gasped softly to himself. He slowly made his way towards the alleyway where the entrance to the warehouse was. Dick stepped underneath the yellow tape & suddenly a strong whiff of sulfur hit him strong. Dick’s eyes began to become a little watery. Dick rubbed his eyes, but began to believe it wasn’t the strong odor affecting him. He felt his heartbeat begin to race as well. He felt panicky as he returned to the last place Cheyenne was. He wanted to call out into the night for Cheyenne.

Dick stepped through the dirty alley. He could see ash all around the walls & ground. It was unsettling. It haunted Dick as he walked through the reminder of that horrid night.

Dick stopped in his tracks. He sensed someone nearby. Dick began to survey his surroundings. He strained to look into the shadows that surrounded him, but he couldn’t make anything out. Dick took a few steps towards a dumpster, where he saw a small figure slowly emerge from behind the dumpster.

Before Dick could even react, he began to choke. He felt his throat closing, suffocating him. Dick clawed at his throat but felt nothing wrapped around it. The figure stepped close to Dick with their hand held out towards him. Suddenly, Dick’s feet were lifted off of the ground. He was being suspended from the ground.

Dick’s heart began to race with panic. He tried to scream, to call out for help, but all that came from him was a weak squawk. 

“Oh my god,” the figure finally spoke after they stepped close enough to see Dick’s face. Dick was suddenly dropped onto the ground, like gravity had just decided to apply to Dick. He massaged his throat. He felt sort of okay, but was still terrified.

Dick looked up at the figure. “Rachel,” he said, looking at the dark eyes of her pale face underneath her black hood. He stood up & began to approach her. Suddenly Rachel’s hand shot up, stopping Dick in his place with another invisible force against him.

“No,” she said.

Dick took a step back. “Rachel, it’s me.”

“Yeah, I remember you, Dick,” she spat coldly. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?”

Before Dick could respond, Rachel began again. “You know what, don’t tell me. I don’t want to hear you speak a single fucking word. I can hear everything right now. I hear your heart racing with fear & anxiety. I can hear your mind screaming Cheyenne’s name, as anyone could hear it. It’s like you think you’re actually doing something to find her. It’s like you think you’re doing something FOR CHEYENNE. Well, you’re fucking delusional if you think you’re here because you care about Cheyenne. If you did, you would’ve been here that night, & you would’ve fought alongside us against Constantine. But no, you cowered away. You ran from that smug son of a bitch & left us to fight him on our own.”

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly Rachel appeared in front of Dick, like a ghost appearing right before a person to jump scare and haunt them. “She died, Dick. Cheyenne died that night. After the building was burning down, Constantine brought a ceiling beam down on us. It crushed Cheyenne. She didn’t make it out. Constantine ran away, & Kori & I tried to lift the beam off of her, but the fire was too much. We barely made it out alive. And now she’s dead.”

Dick let all of this sink in. First, his fingers went numb, then his hold hand. Next, he felt the tingling sensation rise up to his face. He couldn’t feel his face. His heart began to beat slowly, but hard. Each heartbeat felt stronger than the last, & each one brought Dick a second closer to screaming out in rage. He felt his stomach become light, as though his organs had begun dissolving. He was a mess.

Dick kneeled down on one knee, then slowly sat down on his bottom, & laid his legs out. He sat with his hands in his lap, trying to twiddle his thumbs together. He couldn’t fumble them right. “I...am SO...sorry, Rachel,” he whispered, staring at the ground. “I really am. I...that night was...it was such a day for me. I had met up with a stranger who offered to help me find the girl I fell in love with growing up. I met a witch who actually read my mind. I found the girl I had planned to run away with. I saw her do impossible things. I saw a man light his hands on fire & shoot balls of flames like it were a normal day. I saw a lion come to life from a neon light. Now, this isn’t an excuse for what I did. You’re right, I was a coward that night. I wasn’t prepared. I came back into town expecting things to go back to how they were. I wanted to run away from my problems, find a familiar face, & run away with her so that I wouldn’t have to face anything. I wanted things to be the way they were. But now I know things always change. This whole goddamn city change. Cheyenne changed...but she’s still the girl I loved. I never got to properly show her that love. And I lost my chance. I lost her. I’m so sorry.”

Dick continued to stare at the ground by his feet. He saw Rachel’s black boots slowly approach him. She knelt down to be at eye level with him. He looked into her eyes. He felt his eyes fill with water. She tilted her head slightly. “I loved her too, Dick. I took care of her when she ran away. I taught her how to use her powers, & how to control it. I gave her the love that she never had from her parents, or from anyone else. I was there for her. She never realized how much she meant to me...and I may never be able to tell her either now.”

Dick stared into Rachel’s eyes. He loved Cheyenne. So did Rachel. It made sense now; they both lost someone they loved, along with their chances with her.

Dick slid across the ground, closer to Rachel. “You’re right. You were there for her in ways I wasn’t. But I grew up with her. We knew each other in ways that no one else did. We had something special too. And it’s gone now. I know what you lost. But it’s okay.” Dick reached for Rachel’s hand and squeezed it in his palms. “Cheyenne once told me something. We were in the orphanage, & I had just woken up from a nightmare. I had screamed. She woke up & asked me what was wrong. I said ‘I saw my mommy & daddy fall.’ She nodded & said, ‘It’s okay.’ I will never forget this next thing that she said. ‘No matter how dark & scary the world seems, there will be light.’”

Rachel looked up at Dick. “She said that?”

Dick nodded. “Yeah. At the time, I didn’t get it. But I fell back asleep right after. But growing up, I always thought back to that & thought to myself, ‘Cheyenne was way too young to have just come up with that herself. She must have read it or heard it somewhere.’ But after a while, it didn’t matter. Because regardless, the words stay true. There will always be light.”

Rachel shook her head. “I don’t think I have the luxury of having hope in a hellish city like Gotham.”

Dick nodded. "You’re right. We really don’t. Not in this dark place. But we owe it to her. We owe it to Cheyenne to stay hopeful & find the light in the darkness.”

Rachel nodded softly. She slowly sat down beside Dick. He looked into her eyes, which were lost in space. It looked as though she was trying to come up with a way to say something. Dick waited. He let Rachel take her her time.

After a few silent moments, Rachel finally spoke. “Dick...that night...after the fire, when the police came, Constantine fled the scene. Kori & I had to hide from the cops. Then firefighters came, & some other CSI agents or whatever. But then one white van pulled up towards the back of the scene. Some guys in black SWAT looking armor came out. They came straight into the alleyway, where Kori & I were hiding. They took Kori, DIck.”

“Wait, Kori was arrested?”

“No, no, they didn’t. They shot her with a tranq or something. She got dizzy, & then they just snatched her body up. Cops don’t do that. I think these guys were up to something else.”

Dick nodded. He thought about what Rachel had said. SWAT looking soldiers came out of a white van and kidnapped Kori. There wasn’t a lot of detail to go off of.

“Rachel, you said a white van?” Dick asked. Rachel nodded. “Did the van say anything on it?”

Rachel thought about it for a moment. “I don’t remember. Codnius, I think. Something with a C.”

Dick shook his head. “Cadmus,” he said. 

Rachel looked at Dick. “Who?”

Dick slowly stood up from the ground. He held a hand out Rachel. “I think Cadmus took Kori. They’re a military science research organization. I think they’re behind a few of the city’s latest bombings.”

“Oh my god,” Rachel said. “Terrorists kidnapped Kori?”

Dick sighed. “No, they supplied the terrorist. His name is Nolan Drake. He’s been on my tail for a little bit. His attacks on the city are part of a bigger agenda, & he’s using Camdus’ weapons to take over. I plan to infiltrate their military base & destroy their weaponry, & hopefully stop Drake.”

Rachel scoffed softly. “That’s fucking crazy, Dick.”

Dick shrugged. “It might just work, though. I have Roy on board to help me on the field. I have a girl who is willing to tap into surveillance.”

Rachel eyed Dick. “Okay…”

Dick stared at Rachel. He had hoped he wouldn’t have to spill it out. “I could use your help too, actually.”

“What the fuck, Dick? They’re going to lock me up & cut me open the second they catch me.”

Dick shook his head. “You’re fucking supernatural. I’m sure you can manage a few bullets.”

Rachel sighed, shaking her head slowly. “Dick...I don’t know…”

Dick grasped Rachel’s hand again. “Look, I know this is a lot right now. Everything is changing, I know. I know it isn’t easy to deal with. I’m having a rough time to deal with this right now too. But we HAVE to do something about this. Things are changing. Evil is emerging out of the shadows, & we’re being pushed into hiding. We won’t get anything done if we hide. We need to come out of hiding & get shit done. This is how. We can make a good change, we can make a difference. We can stop these attacks. We can find Kori, Rachel. We can save Gotham, but we can save Kori too.”

Rachel’s eyes were staring off into space again. She was silent for a long while, but finally spoke again. “For Cheyenne.”

Dick felt a tug on his heart. He slowly nodded. “Yes,” he said. “For Cheyenne.”


	28. Game Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick orchestrates a plan with Roy, Rachel, & Harper.

Dick sat on his rolling chair beside his desk in his room. It was on the far end of his bedroom near the window, which had an alcove with cushions seats to sit on. Rachel sat in one end of the alcove with her legs brought up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. Roy sat on the other end with his legs wide open, resting his elbows on his knees. Harper was sitting with her back against the wall under the window. The three sat in silence, just as Dick had finished explaining the plan.

Roy cleared his throat, breaking the silence first. “Okay,” he started. “So...you want to break into a military base?”

Dick nodded. “Yes. I do.”

Rachel shook her head. “Dick, go over this one last time. We need to sort out all of the details.”

Dick sighed. “Okay, last time.” He took a deep breath, then continued. “We’re going to the outskirts of the base. There’s gonna be a huge fence surrounding the entire base. According to the schematics, the fence is electrified all around, so there’s no climbing over. We MIGHT be able to dig underneath.”

Harper shook her head. “No, there’s electrical fencing dug a few dozen feet underneath the surface. Digging downward would probably fry your ass.”

Dick bit his lip. “How are you JUST mentioning this?”

“You never said you wanted to dig underneath the fence, dude,” Harper responded.

“Um,” Rachel hummed silently. “Well...I can probably get you through.”

Dick looked down at Rachel. “Okay, I believe you.”

“Wait, what?” Harper asked. “How are you gonna do that?”

Rachel turned back to Harper. “Just trust me, I really can.”

Harper sighed. “Okay, sure.”

Dick cleared his throat. “Okay, so we get through the fence. I believe there’s gonna be a few mines, but I think Harper can navigate us through on our com.”

Roy grinned. “Okay, this is starting to sound really good.”

Dick shook his head, scoffing silently. “Yeah man, it is. There’s definitely going to be patrols roaming about. Surveillance shows they roam in pairs, some on foot & some by car. There’s a watchtower per corner of the base, so our best bet of getting through undetected is straight ahead, to the entrance. We’ll pose as patrolmen & make our way inside. Once in, we’ll split. I’ll try & find the chemical weapons & dispose of them, while you guys go & do your think. Harper will keep an eye on us through surveillance and alert us of any nearby threats.”

Harper, Roy & Rachel each nodded their heads. Dick sighed in satisfaction. The plan seemed simple enough. Nothing to extreme. Just a simple stealth tactic. It would be dangerous, seeing as they were breaking into a military base, but as long as everyone stuck together as a unit & extracted everyone they needed, it would work out. Dick would remove the weapons, Roy would find Jim, & Raven would find Kori. It would work.

Dick stood up. “Any more questions?”

Everyone shook their heads. After a brief moment, Rachel spoke. “I need to use your restroom.”

Dick nodded towards the door across his room. “My bathroom is over there, & the hand towels are in the closet.”

Rachel nodded, stood up & walked over to the bathroom. Dick leaned back against his desk. He ran the plan through his head a few more times. He wanted to be absolutely sure he wasn’t missing any details.

“This is a nice pad,” Harper said softly.

Dick shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. It’s temporary, though.”

Harper & Roy both looked up at Dick. “What do you mean?” Roy asked.

“Well, I have my own money. I have enough. I don’t like it here. There’s not a lot left for me here. I wanted to leave town with Cheyenne, but she’s gone. I wanted to leave right after, but I can’t let Nolan destroy the city. I can’t leave Barbara behind either. Not when the city is going to hell. So by breaking into Cadmus, we’ll be killing three birds with one stone. Hopefully after that, everything with Nolan will be resolved, & I’ll be able to take Barbara away from everything here. I can give her a good, safe life from the threats here.”

Roy nodded softly. “That’s good, man. You definitely need a backup plan.”

Dick gave a confused look to Roy. “This isn’t a backup, Roy. This IS the plan.”

Harper turned to Roy, who glanced back at her. He bit his lip, then looked back up at Dick. “I don’t know if anyone has really told you this, Dick, but Nolan Drake isn’t a crazy guy. He isn’t a terrorist, he isn’t a menace. He’s something else, dude. He’s the epitome of everything wrong with Gotham. There will always be another Nolan Drake. For every Nolan Drake, there needs to be a hero to stop him. Does that make sense?”

Dick listened carefully to what Roy was saying. He believed he understood what Roy was saying. By taking on Drake, Dick would be holding up the mantle as a hero for the city. Once he did that, there would be more threats, & it would be up to Dick to stop every other. Dick would be giving himself up to the city of Gotham. Dick shook his head. “I’m not signing up to save the city forever, Roy. I’m not fighting every Nolan Drake. I’m fighting MY Nolan Drake.”

Harper looked between Roy & Dick. Dick knew the tension had grown a bit thick in the room. He instantly felt a little bad. “I get what you’re saying, Roy, but...I’m not trying to be some sort of vigilante who dedicates himself for the city. I will right now, because Nolan is MY responsibility, but that’s it. After that, I need to leave. I need to start a new life & leave everything behind. I’ll take Barbara. After that, the Batman can keep defending the city.”

Roy nodded. “I guess, yeah. I get that.”

Harper cleared her throat. “Dick, so, um, remember how you had asked me about the...thing?”

Dick nodded and sat on the ground beside Harper. Roy sat down beside the two, his interest peaking. “Thing? What thing? I wanna see the thing?”

Dick smirked. “It’s okay, dude. You already have your thing.”

“What? What’s my thing?” Roy asked.

Just as Rachel had emerged from the bathroom, Harper began unrolling a piece of paper she had folded up in her pocket. “You’re apparently a really good archer. That’s your tactic. Dick wanted me to make something for him.” Harper revealed the sketches to Dick. Roy peered over Dick’s shoulders, while Rachel sat down beside Harper to sneak a glance of the blueprints.

Dick surveyed the blueprints. “Wow,” he said. “This looks really good.”

Harper shrugged. “Just wait till I build the thing, dude.”

A grin rose across Dick’s face. “Guys, I have a good feeling about this.”

Roy scratched the back of his neck. “My bow’s better,” he mumbled to himself.

Dick rolled his eyes. Just at that moment, the bedroom door opened. Alfred popped his head through the doorway. “Uh, Master Grayson, Mr. Wayne will be arriving shortly. Would your guests like to stay for dinner?”

Dick glanced at the three, then back at Alfred. “No, Al, it’s okay. Thanks though. We’re almost done here.”

Alfred nodded and removed his head from the doorway, then shut the door quietly behind him.

“You have a butler too?” Harper asked.

Dick nodded. “Yeah, he’s okay. Not a big pain, really.”

Roy tapped Dick’s arm. “Dude, does Alfred or Bruce know about any of this?”

Dick shook his head. “No, guys, & I want to keep it that way. Like I said, once all of this is over, I don’t plan to stay here much longer. So the less they know, the easier it’ll be for me to carry everything out, & we’ll be on our way.”

Everyone nodded softly in agreement. Dick felt that some were questioning whether leaving Bruce out of the whole ordeal was wise. It didn’t matter. Bruce wasn’t around a lot of the time. He was usually out on a business meeting, or out on a date. So far, Dick had managed to get away with a lot. It was working. Everything was working. Dick had his weapon. He had his team. He had his plan. Everything would work.


	29. Raid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick, Rachel, & Roy break into Cadmus, each with their own goals.

Dick rode in the passenger seat of the black off-road Jeep. Dick stared out the window. They drove out to Metropolis, but the base was set towards the outskirts of the city, away from the wandering eyes of the public. The area was a vast barren dry plain, almost near some mountains. Were they the Appalachian mountains? Dick shook the questions from his mind. He stared into the dark sky. He could see the stars lighting up the night from above. Dick smiled. It was a really beautiful scene. Dick would have to remember to take Barbara out one night to a place like this & watch the stars.

Dick turned to Roy, who was driving the Jeep. “Are there any girls in your life?” Dick asked.

Roy, with both hands gripping the driving wheel tight, glanced at Roy, but then turned back ahead. “Dude, are you seriously asking me this now?”

Dick shrugged. “Why not? I’m curious.”

Roy rolled his eyes. From behind his seat, Dick could hear Rachel scoff. “Cut the guy some slack, dude. He wants to get to know you before we all die.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Roy grunted. “We’re not going to die.”

“Hmph,” Rachel murmured. “Whatever.”

Dick looked up ahead. “Stop, Roy.”

Roy slammed his foot on the brake, sending the car to a skirting stop. Dick, Roy, & Rachel’s bodies were both pushed forward, but were held back by their seatbelts.

Dick glanced at Roy, grinning. “And you weren’t gonna wear that.”

Roy turned to Roy, panting. “Okay,” he said slowly. “Why did we stop.”

Dick pointed ahead. In the distance, there was a small bright light shining. A sort of spotlight spun around every few seconds, acting as a sort of illuminating sonar. “That’s the base,” he said. “We should go onward on foot, otherwise we’d be noticed.”

Roy nodded. “Okay,” he said softly. Roy turned back to Rachel. “Are you ready to die?”

Rachel gave an ugly face back to Roy. “Yeah, but not before you.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “You guys are the worst,” he joked, stepping out of the Jeep.

The three stepped out of the car & went around to the trunk. Roy opened it up, then opened the floorboard of the trunk. In the hidden compartment, there was three black duffel bags laying there. Roy handed one to Dick, one to Rachel, & hoisted one up & set it down beside his feet. Dick looked up at Roy & Rachel.

Rachel had begun unpacking a black suit that she had insisted on bringing herself. Dick hadn’t seen it until now. It was open & flowy, which Dick wasn’t sure would be good for this mission. It resembled a cloak. He glanced over at Roy, who began strapping on a dark black body suit with a small hint of red when glistened in the light. Roy removed a pair of red glasses & set them on his face, which then glowed for a brief second. He unpacked the red bow & arrows. He slung the quiver holding the arrows around his shoulder, then strapped it tight to his back. The bow retracted into a small staff, which then shrunk into a foot long stick that he slid into a bracelet on his left wrist. It was a hell of a set up.

Dick smiled, satisfied with the preparation for the raid, then opened his bag up. He had his own body suit to be fitting himself into. His had a hint of blue. He didn’t know whose idea it was to add that color, but he didn’t mind. He liked it. Dick then removed a long black staff from the bag. It was the weapon he asked Harper to design for him. He felt like he would know how it worked. After all, he specifically asked for it himself. Whether or not Harper had added modifications to it, Dick had no idea.

“Okay, guys,” Dick started. “Check your bags for an earpiece. We need that to keep in touch with Harper.”

Rachel & Roy nodded, then dug in their bags for their earpiece. The three placed their earpieces in their right ears. Suddenly, a static noise shocked the three, but then a soft hum.

“Oh, hey,” Harper’s voice crackled. “Did you guys make it ok?”

“Yeah,” Dick answered. “We’re about to head into the base now.”

“Okay, that’s good. Stay super careful, guys. I won’t be able to guide you guys until you get inside the facility. I don’t have eyes on you right now, so be careful in the meantime. Keep your coms on & active at all times. You won’t only need to communicate with me, but with each other too. Good luck, guys.”

Suddenly, the com went dark. A soft hum was able to be heard, but nothing else. Dick glanced at Roy & Rachel, who both nodded softly. They were ready.

The three walked towards the base. They walked a long while. Dick began feeling tired, trekking through the rough hilly ground, but he pushed on. Roy & Raven weren’t too far behind. They walked slowly to avoid any precautions that Cadmus might have set up before reaching the fence. Dick sighed, feeling his legs growing more & more numb with each step. He shook himself up, regaining his focus. He couldn’t be dozing off now. It was the worst time to feel weak.

Finally, the three were about a few yards away from the fence. Dick crouched behind a thorny bush nearby. Roy & Rachel followed suit. The three sat there for a few moments, resting.

Dick scanned the ground. He reached in between his legs for a small pebble. He turned it around between his fingers. Dick glanced over his shoulder, back at the fence. Dick stood up for a brief moment, tossing the pebble at the fence. As the pebble came in contact with the fence, the fence glowed bright blue, electrifying the pebble. Smoke emitted from the fence, as though the fence had just fried a piece of meat.

Dick kneeled back down, turning to Roy & Rachel. “Alright then,” he whispered.

The three sat silently for a few moments. Finally, Rachel sighed, breaking the silence. “Okay, well, I guess.”

Roy & Dick turned to her. Rachel slid in between Dick & Roy. She grabbed Dick & Roy’s hand with each of hers. “Okay, boys. Stay very calm. Take a deep breath.”

Dick glanced at Roy, who gave Dick the same worried & confused look. Suddenly, before Dick could even guess what was about to happen, he felt an unexplainable phenomena. First his eyesight had gone completely. His chest began to feel as though it were filled with a gas, expanding more & more until Dick felt like he was about to burst. His limbs & face felt completely numb. He felt his entire physical being jerked around as though he were a ragdoll in a whirlpool. It was the longest second of Dick’s life.

“Hey,” Dick heard Rachel say. “You can open your eyes now, dude.”

Dick suddenly realized that his eyes had been shut. Were they like that the whole time? He opened his eyes slowly, & his first instinct was to look down at his body. Nothing had changed at all. Whatever destructive feeling he felt was now suddenly gone. It left no physical damage on him.

“Whoa,” Roy hummed. “What the fuck?”

Dick turned to Roy, who was staring at the fence. Dick looked over at the fence & noticed that the car they had driven in was now on the other side of the fence.

“What…” Dick turned back behind him to see that the base was now in their reach.

Dick turned to Rachel, who gave a small & faint grin. “You’re welcome,” she said softly.

Dick shook his head in disbelief. “Okay,” he said, his voice cracking momentarily. “Well...alright then.”

Suddenly, a spotlight lit Dick, Rachel & Roy on the ground. Dick quickly bent down to the ground & followed the trace of the light. He held his hand up to be able to see the source clearly. A watchtower had spotted them.

Before Dick could even react, he heard a quiet swift movement in the air beside him. As he stared up at the watchtower, he could see the spotlight slowly turn a few degrees to the right, shining the light away from the group.

Dick turned behind him. Roy had his bow in his hand. It was aimed right at the tower with his right arm pulled back already. Roy had made the shot that had saved their asses.

Roy grinned. “What are we waiting for?” he said in a smug tone.

Dick sighed and nodded towards the base. The three continued to walk across the barren field. They kept their heads low & their chests towards the ground. Just as they began getting closer & closer to the main entrance to the building itself, Dick heard a soft chatter. Dick motioned to Roy & Rachel to get low onto the ground. They crawled behind another nearby bush & took cover near it. Dick peered through the bush, seeing two soldiers armed with weapons patrolling the area.

Dick turned to Roy & Rachel. “Two guys coming in close,” he whispered. “I’ll take them.”

Before either could object to this, Dick leaped out from behind the bush & sprinted at the two unexpecting men. They took a brief second to react in surprise before they could fall into their necessary killer instinct. That brief second was all Dick needed.

Dick ran up to the first man who was raising his rifle to aim it at Dick. Before the gun even reached the guards face, Dick swung his leg around, kicking the rifle out of the guards grasp. Dick then threw one swift punch at his chest and another at his neck. Then Dick swung his leg back around, connecting his boot with the side of the soldier’s face. There was a distinct crack as the man crumbled down.

The next man already had his rifle up when the first man fell down. Dick rushed to him & used his left arm to deflect the gun, pushing the man out of his firm stance. The imbalancement was what Dick needed to disarm him. Dick used his forearm & pressed it hard against the back of the guard’s arm. He screamed, dropping the rifle from his hand. Dick might have broken the arm. He then leaped onto the man’s back, legs wrapped around the chest & arms around the soldier’s neck, choking him. In a brief second, Dick broke the soldier’s neck as he twisted the head, detaching the skull from the spine. The lifeless body crumpled to the ground as Dick looked up at Roy & Rachel. There stared at him. Dick couldn’t tell if it was out of amazement or pure judgement.

Dick shook it off. “Come on,” he grunted, nodding to Roy.

Roy & Dick spent the next few minutes changing into the guard’s military uniforms. Rachel stood watch as Roy & Dick transformed into what they appeared to be real soldiers. Rachel tilted her head to the side. “Okay, so, I guess I have to sneak in my own way.”

Dick & Roy glanced at each other. “Can you?” Roy asked.

Rachel nodded, and within a split second, her body was suddenly gone. Dick couldn’t see her. She had disappeared out of thin air.

Dick stammered to ask where she was, but Roy lightly tapped his shoulder. “Don’t dwell on it. We need to keep going.”

Dick nodded and began walking towards the base. He walked beside Roy with the rifle strapped to his body & resting in his hands. As he approached the building, Dick could see more guards around the entrance area of the building. Dick walked passed two guards before entering the building. He glanced at the guards quickly before they could look at Dick and recognize his face.

“Shit,” Dick hissed.

“What?” Roy whispered back.

“The tags,” Dick mumbled.

The two stopped in their tracks in front of the doors. Dick turned around quick, facing his back to the door. He nudged Roy to do the same. “We have the other guards’ faces on our tags.”

Roy groaned softly. “Okay, so what do we do?”

Dick watched the guards walking away from the base. When he was sure they weren’t paying attention, he raised his right hand to his ear piece. “Rachel,” he said. “Can you hear me?”

“What’s up?” Rachel responded.

“Can you, like, change the photos on our tags with some voodoo or whatever?”

There was a brief silence. “What?” she finally spoke.

“Our tags, we have the wrong faces on the tags.”

Dick felt a sudden chill beside his body. He shivered all throughout his body, & then felt suddenly warm again. Dick glanced down at his body. He tugged on his tag to read it clearly. The name on the tag said “Richard Grayson”.  
Dick turned to Roy. The tag on his chest said “Roy Harper”.

“We’re good,” Dick said. The two proceeded through the building. They walked into the lobby, where a blonde receptionist sat behind a desk typing away at a computer. She slowly looked up through her big framed glasses as Roy & Dick approached her.

“Hello, gentlemen,”  she said. “Where are you two headed tonight?”

_ “Okay, Dick, say that you’re going to transport the product to the Cobblepot client. Say Roy is going to the testing facility for the alien subjects,”  _ Harper told Dick over the ear piece.

“Harper here is going to the alien testing facility. I’m on my way to assist the transport of the product for the Cobblepot client.”

The blonde smiled. “Alright,” she started. She turned to Roy & a smile rose across her shy face.Her cheeks grew a little red. “Mr. Harper, the testing facility will be to your right down that hall.”

Roy nodded, grinning. “Thank you, beautiful,” he said softly before making his way down the hall slowly.

The blonde watched him walk away. As soon as he was out of sight, she turned to Roy. “Is he new?” she asked eagerly.

Dick stared at her dumbfoundedly. He shrugged. “I don’t know, ma’am.”

The blonde glanced back to the direction Roy went, then sighed. “Oh, geez,” she breathed to herself.

Dick cleared his throat. “The Cobblepot product, ma’am?”

The blonde gasped, recovering herself from her trance. “Right, oh my gosh, okay!” She said in a panicky tone. “The product is down that hall to the left in lab D-97.”

Dick smiled softly. “Thank you, ma’am. Have a great day.” He turned to walk away, but then suddenly turned back to the receptionist. “Hey, um...I know you don’t know me, but...if anything happens tonight, you need to leave as soon as possible.”

The blonde looked up at Dick with her big baby blue eyes. “What?” she asked in the most innocent voice.

Dick took a deep breath. “If anything happens tonight, leave fast. Do you understand?”

The blonde stared at Dick. She slowly nodded. “Thank you,” she said softly with a nod. She was in agreement.

Dick finally turned down the hall where the lab was. Dick raised his hand to his earpiece & pressed on it lightly. He heard a beep. The channel had been opened. “Alright guys, we’re in position. Rachel, wherever you are, find Roy & stay with him. He’s headed towards the facility where Cadmus keeps their prisoners. I don’t know if they’ve done testing on Jim or Kori, but chances are you two will find them there. I’ll try to find the nerve toxin. If anything goes wrong, rendezvous to the Jeep so we can haul ass.”

_ “Hey, um, Grayson,” _ Roy spoke over the earpiece.  _ “I think we should each have a codename right now.” _

_ “I agree,”  _ Rachel finally responded.

_ “Hell yes,”  _ Harper agreed.  _ “I’m ‘Motherbird.’ No! ‘Bluebird!’” _

_ “Raven,”  _ Rachel spat.

_ “Arsenal,”  _ Roy grunted.

_ “What the hell kind of name is Arsenal?”  _ Harper scoffed.

_ “What the hell kind of name is Bluebird?”  _ Roy called back.

_ “Sentiments, you little shit,”  _ Harper hissed back.

_ “Oh my gosh, you guys are pathetic,” _ Rachel groaned.

Dick grabbed his earpiece from his ear & brought it down to his mouth. He blew into the earpiece softly, then brought it back to his ear. “Have I got your attention yet?”

Everyone was quiet except the soft breathing of a few.

“Good. Sorry, guys. Okay, first off, your codenames are ridiculous. Like, seriously, what the fuck. But it’s not a bad idea. This signal could be intercepted, so codenames are a good precaution. Everyone copy?”

_ “Copy that,”  _ Roy replied.

_ “Roger,” _ Harper said.

_ “Yeah, yeah,”  _ Rachel mumbled.

Dick sighed. He had to remind himself never to put Roy, Rachel, or Harper together in another team like this again.

Dick scoffed. He was already considering when there would be another time for a team like this. Dick shook his head and continued walking to lab D-97.

The halls were bright white. They looked almost futuristic. Dick’s footsteps clicked and clacked as the halls echoed like they would in a church. The reflections on the crystal clean floor startled Dick a bit. He breathed slowly & deeply, containing his composure. He was inside of Cadmus. He was in the belly of the beast. He couldn’t fuck it up now.

He passed by several doors before he noticed one with a sign across the door. It was Laboratory D-97. Dick gripped the doorknob and slowly twisted the doorknob open. As he stepped inside, the first thing he noticed was the smell. It was strong, like a roach killer spray. It didn’t feel safe to breathe. Dick glanced around the room. The lab had several tables set up with over 50 glass vials on them. Each vial was set up on a rack, holding them in group sets. The vials were attached to long tubes that each connected into one another that all led to long long tube attached to the roof. The long tube stretched all the way across to the right side of the room, where it leg into a large metal container by the wall. It was more than 10 feet high & roughly 6 feet wide, if not more. On the side of the container was a small thin glass window. Dick could see a dark material forming inside. Dick could see the deadly toxin.

“Hey,” a voice called from across the lab. A soldier began to approach Dick with another soldier to his left & a scientist to his right. “What are you doing here?”

Dick cleared his throat. He put on his best nervous voice. “Hi, I mean, hello...sir. I was sent here to check on something. This is the lab with the nerve gas for Mr. Oswald Cobblepot, right?”

The first soldier turned back to the second, then towards the scientist. He then turned back to Dick. “Are you new here, son?”

Dick nodded. “Yes sir, I am, sir!” he called out, faking the best pubescent voice crack.

The soldier scoffed. “All these billions of dollars, & this is who Cadmus hires?”

The second soldier snorted. “They even got us a really dorky receptionist.”

“She’s hot, though,” the first soldier responded.

“I should’ve taken the position at LexCorp,” the scientist muttered.

“Excuse me,” Dick said softly. “I’m supposed to help transport this product to Cobblepot.”

The soldiers turned back to Dick. “Right,” the first one said. “Okay, follow me.”

Dick followed the two soldiers and the scientist across the lab to a door. The first soldier turned to Dick .”Okay, the client has an escort on their way. They’ll arrive on the site shortly. Once they do, I’ll send back for you. You can wait here with Dr. Garner, here.”

Dick glanced to the door. There was another scientist standing by, twiddling his fingers. He wore thick black framed glasses & stood in a thick lanky body frame.

The two soldiers and the other scientist went to the skinny doctor & began speaking to him. The nervous looking doctor nodded quickly, & as the three rushed past the doctor, he rushed into the lab, brushing right past Dick. Dick glanced back at the nervous doctor, who was already at the big container filled with the toxin.

Dick slowly approached the doctor, who was recording data onto a tablet. “Hello,” he said softly to the doctor. The doctor slightly glanced up at Dick, held a small hand up to him, & went back to recording his data.

Dick stared at the doctor with a raised eyebrow. He cleared his throat. “So,” Dick started. “What is this, exactly?”

The doctor turned to Dick. “Well, in layman's terms, It’s a nerve agent chemically engineered to react with oxygen, which will cause the chemical to combust.”

Dick nodded. “Okay,” he said slowly. “That’s pretty cool.”

The doctor stared at Dick, then turned back to his tablet. Dick sensed a bit of judgement from the doctor. “What do you think about this?” Dick asked.

“Um,” the doctor hummed, eyes still glued to the tablet. “It is certainly an advancement in modern warfare,” he admitted.

Dick nodded. “Hell, yeah. We can finally use something to take down those damn taliban.”

The doctor glanced back at Dick, then down at his tablet. This wasn’t working. Dick was an unconvincing soldier.

“What’s your name?” Dick asked.

The doctor looked up at Dick & pushed his wire frame glasses farther up the bridge of his nose. “William,” the doctor answered.

Dick nodded. “William, okay,” Dick repeated softly. “Do you have a family, William?”

William turned to Dick. “Excuse me?”

Dick sighed. “William, do you have a family?”

William stared at Dick. “I, uh...my parents live in Gotham with my older brother.”

Dick nodded. “That’s nice,” he said in a soft tone. “I don’t have a family. My parents died when I was young.”

William set the tablet down. “I’m so sorry.”

Dick waved him off. “It’s okay, I’m kind of over it.” Dick stepped towards the container of toxin. “I just wish I could have stopped it from happening, you know? I barely had any time to do the things I wanted with them. My dad never got to give me that advice on how to get a girl. My mom never got to cry as she sent me off to college. They never got to see me walk down the aisle with the love of my life. They never got to see me become the person I am today.”

William nodded. “I’m really sorry about that.”

Dick nodded. “I’d do anything to make sure they were still alive, William.”

William bit his bottom lip in deep thought. “I guess I can understand that.”

Dick nodded to the container. “William, this toxin is being delivered to Gotham. It’s going to be unleashed on your family. Your mom & dad, & your big brother. They’re going to die, along with thousands of other innocent people.”

William stared at Dick, then shook his head. “That’s not funny,” he spat out, picking up the tablet & continuing his work.

“I’m not lying!” Dick cried.

“Dr. Crane told me that this was going to be sent to a military office in Gotham to be tested for warfare.”

“That’s a lie! It’s being sent to Oswald Cobblepot. He’s a corrupt businessman who has no interest in handing this to the military!”

“Enough!” William growled. Dick was taken back by this sudden fierceness in the shy doctor. “I helped make this. I know exactly what is going on. You can’t just waltz in here & tell me otherwise.”

Dick shook his head. “William, Cadmus is lying to you. Their sole interest is profit. They don’t care where this product goes. Cobblepot is working with a very bad person, and they’re going to use this toxin in a city wide attack on Gotham. There’s already been two attacks. This is the next one, man, you have to believe me! Think of your family, William! You’re being given a chance to prevent them from getting hurt, or worse. I never got the chance to save my family. Don’t waste this opportunity.”

William stared at Dick. His lips began to tremble. The words had gotten through to William. “But...I’m supposed to finish this last batch.”

Dick looked up at the container. The glass window showed the container being mostly full of the toxin. On the side of the container was an electronic number pad. It read “90%”.

“William, you have to shut this off now,” Dick pleaded.

“Hey!” a loud voice called from the exit on the other side of the lab. Dick turned to find three soldiers standing there. Each had rifles pointed at Dick. “Put down your weapon & step away from Dr. Garner!”

Dick unslung the rifle from his shoulder & set it down on a table beside him. He put his hands up & turned to the doctor. “William, please, shut the machine off. Don’t let the process finish.”

Garner looked at Dick with eyes filled with fear. “I can’t…”

Dick shook his head. “Son of a bitch,” he mumbled.

“STEP AWAY FROM DR. GARNER!” A soldier shouted at Dick. The three of them stepped towards Dick with their fingers held on the trigger of the guns. Dick felt his heart beat fast & his palms grow sweaty. He really couldn’t do a lot at this point. He may easily die. This could be it.

_ “Dick, if you’re okay right now, speak,”  _ Harper spoke on the earpiece. Dick kept silent. He heard Harper sigh on the other end.  _ “Alright, guys, I’m going to set off the alarm. So everyone else is going to know that there are intruders. Everyone will have a limited window before things get heated. 10 minutes at the most. Everyone, I’m going to count from three, & everyone pull out. Good luck.” _

Dick breathed deeply, trying to keep calm. He tuned everything out except the staticy voice of Harper Row counting down.  _ “Three…two...one.” _

Suddenly the lights dimmed from bright white to dark red. The corners of the room flashed like strobelights. Horns blared from everywhere, deafening Dick. He reacted fast. Dick reached for the gun he laid to the side of the table & sprayed a rain of bullets all across the lab, shooting at the soldiers. One leaped to cover to the left, & another to the right, but the soldier in the center was shot down. His lifeless body crumpled to the ground. Dick took cover behind a table holding vials as he heard bullets being shot back. He glanced to his side to try & spot Garner. The good doctor was taking cover behind another table with his face buried in his knees. Dick looked up at the container with the toxin. The number pad read “100%.”

“Shit,” Dick groaned to himself. Dick began to shoot at the container with his rifle. He made indentations in the metal of the container, but after a few moments, realized his mistake. He had opened up holes in the container, where the toxic gas began to hiss out of. Acting on his quick instinct, Dick ran in between two tables & slid beside William. Dick grabbed his arm and ran towards the door with William trailing behind. Suddenly Dick heard a whoosh & the two were blasted by flames & were smacked against the wall across the hall of the lab.

Dick cried out in agony, but suddenly felt the scorching pain on his back cool down. He remembered that he wore a high-tech bodysuit underneath the military uniform. Dick glanced to his side, where he saw Garner’s body lying still on the ground. His back was completely scorched. Dick could see the very bone of William.

Dick gasped. He cursed silently to himself. He had hoped it wouldn’t have come to that.

_ “Dick, get a move on!”  _ Harper cried in the earpiece.

Dick grunted and leaped onto his feet. He did feel a slight pain as he put pressure on his right leg, but he continued to push on anyhow.

Dick ran down the hall towards where the initial exit was. The blaring alarm & the flashing lights were distracting for Dick, making his head throb. Dick shook his head & put his mind to focus. He ran all the way down, where he found himself back at the receptionist’s desk. Dick noticed the receptionist wasn’t sitting behind the desk. Dick took a few steps towards the hall Roy had gone down earlier when he heard a scream.

Dick turned back, where he saw the blonde receptionist from earlier. She was sitting with her back against the desk & her knees up to her chest. She was rocking herself back & forth, completely in shock.

“Hey!” Dick called, then ran back to her. He slid across the ground to her side. “Hey, hey, you’ve gotta go, like, right now!”

The blonde looked up at Dick with her big blue eyes. “I...I...I…” she began to stutter.

Dick reached for her hand and squeezed it tight in his. “Please, leave. Things are only going to get worse.”

Just as he was about to stand up, two more guards emerged from the hall & began to open fire at the receptionist’s desk. The blonde covered her head with her hands in fear & let out a screech. Dick knelt beside her, keeping his head down. He thought of where a nearby gun would be, & then realized he wasn’t unarmed. Dick reached behind his back and retrieved his black staff. He examined it for a brief moment, observing its qualities.

He gripped it tight in his two hands &, in a swift motion, rose up from behind the desk and swung the staff across the desk. He sent the computer monitor & papers flying across the front lobby, serving as a diversion. The soldiers ceased open fire for a brief moment, which Dick used as an opportunity. He leaped across the desk, swung his staff up over his head, then brought it back down on a soldier’s head. It knocked the soldier out cold. Dick then swung the staff around to the second soldier’s neck, which sent him to the ground, but he quickly got back up. The soldier dropped his gun and threw his fists up.

A grin rose over Dick’s face & he shook his head with a shrug. “Alright, then,” he muttered.

Dick tugged on the staff, which split into two smaller staffs. Dick didn’t realize that would happen, but he didn’t show it on his face. He twirled both sticks in his hands & lunged at the soldier. He swung one hand at the soldier, who deflected the attack. Dick threw a low knee into the soldier’s gut, which made him double over. Dick brought his left fist down onto the soldier’s head. The soldier fell onto the ground, but reached over to try & grab his ankle. Dick pulled his foot out of his reach. Dick gripped the right stick like a knife & squeezed it tight in his hands. He felt the stick slightly vibrate. Dick let out a loud raging roar & jabbed the staff into the soldier’s gut. Suddenly, the stick was electrifying him, & the soldier’s entire body was shocked & jolted him. The soldier shook & jittered as he laid lifelessly on the ground.

Dick turned to the blonde receptionist, who’s eyes peered over the side of the desk. She had seen everything.

Dick slowly approached her with a warm smile. He held the two sticks in one hand behind his back, and held out his other to her. “I’m one of the good guys,” he said softly.

“You killed them,” the blonde whispered. “You’re not good.”

Dick shrugged. “Okay, maybe I don’t seem good right NOW, but I did NOT kill those two guys.” Dick stood up straight & reattached the sticks together, recreating the long staff. “I want to help you. But I’m on a time crunch. If you don’t want to trust me & let me take you to safety, I understand. But you need to leave NOW.”

The blonde stared at Dick’s eyes. He stared back, seeing the strong presence of fear in her blue eyes. Her lips slightly trembled, and her eyes twitched as she couldn’t keep a straight stare at Dick. Her mind & heart were racing too fast.

“Go,” Dick said as he finally got close enough to reach for her hands. He squeezed them tight in his. “Please, if everything goes wrong right now, I want to know that I at least saved one innocent person’s life tonight.”

The blonde suddenly embraced Dick with a strong & tight hug, then stood up & ran passed Dick. She bursted through the front doors of the lobby & ran outside. Dick hoped she knew where she was going.

Dick stood up & ran down the corridor that Roy had run down. He glanced to the side of the halls with signs that directed Dick to the testing facilities. The lights & alarms continued to make Dick’s head throb, but Dick continued to push passed the pain still. He couldn’t let a simple alarm system defeat him now.

He ran towards a door that said “CAUTION” on a plate across the door. Dick shoved right through it, pushing with his shoulder. Dick began seeing glass cells on each side of the halls. Inside of each were a pair of innocent prisoners. Each person was banging against the glass wall, calling out for help. Dick rushed passed each, feeling a tug in his chest with every horrified face that he ignored. Dick finally saw Rachel standing in front of a cell. She was banging against one of the cells, crying out into the glass. Dick ran up to Rachel & looked into the cell. Inside was Kori, banging against the glass with tears running down her face. Next to her was a boy with pure green skin & hair. He looked like an alien, but he was clearly a young boy.

Dick pressed his earpiece. “Harper, can you get Kori out of here? She’s in a cell at my position.”

_ “Okay, yeah, I can open up her cell,”  _ Harper said in the earpiece.

Dick watched as the glass wall began to hum and vibrate. The wall slowly lifted up into the roof, & as it did, Kori crawled underneath the glass. She leaped onto Dick & wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you so much!” she cried.

Dick held Kori for a brief moment, then pushed her away. “Okay,” he said. He glanced at Rachel, who shot Dick with a scornful look as the green boy attached himself to her. She shoved him off and nodded towards the hall.

“Come on, guys,” Dick said. He didn’t ask questions. He needed to find Roy.

As the four ran down the hall, Dick pressed into his earpiece again. “Roy, where are you, man?” he called.

_ “I’m in the biomechanics sector!”  _ Roy called.  _ “I haven’t found him yet, man!” _

“Roy, we need to get going NOW!”

Just as Dick looked up, he saw three soldiers emerge from an exit in front of them. Each held their weapons up & aimed at the group.

Rachel shoved passed Dick & threw her arms up. Just as the soldiers opened fire, a purple light emerged from Rachel’s arms. It created a force field. It was the same energy she was using in Chinatown. The bullets fired right against the force field, deflecting the rain of bullets. Rachel’s arms began to shake as she held the force field up, but she was bracing herself for her next move. She pushed her arms forward, causing the purple force to rush through the soldiers. The soldiers were thrown back and knocked unconscious.

“Come on!” Rachel called. Dick ran beside Rachel with Kori & the green boy behind them. They rushed through the hall, & after a few moments, Dick noticed a room with a sign labeled “Biomechanics”.

“Watch the door,” Dick called behind him to no one in particular. Dick stepped inside of the room as Rachel, Kori & the green boy stood guard at the door. Dick surveyed the biomechanics room. It resembled a long hall with different rooms in the halls. Each room had a few beds in the rooms. Each bed had a person lying, recuperating. Some weren’t fully human. Some had entire mechanical body parts.

Dick went through the rooms & as he passed by one, he heard a cry for help. “Hey!” called the voice. “You!”

Dick turned towards the room. He spotted two beds in a room. One bed had a man underneath the sheets with his eyes shut. He looked unconscious. The bed next to him had a black guy calling out for Dick.

“Shit,” he mumbled to himself. Dick ran into the room & slide beside the bed. Dick got a good look of the man. His left eye was covered with an entire metal plate with a red sphere inside for a robotic eye. His right arm was whole & muscular, but the left was an entire robotic arm with a cannon in place of his hand.

“Help me,” the man said. “Please, I can’t stay here any longer.”

Dick sighed. “I’m going to try to get you out if I can. Do you know where Jim Harper is?”

The man looked up at Dick with a puzzled look. “Harper, yeah…” the man glanced towards the bed next to him. Dick turned behind him to see the bed with the unconscious man. Dick noticed a large amount of wires & tubes connecting from different parts of his body. Each of the tubes led to a small port on the wall on the other end of the room. Dick ran to the port and examined it. There was a small button next to it. Dick pressed the button, & the wall shifted down to reveal an entire glass casing with a body submerged in water. Dick recognized the body. It was Jim Harper’s body.

Dick turned back & forth between the body on the bed to the body in the glass. The two were identical. How was it possible? Was the body in the wall a hologram? Dick shook the idea out of his head, not asking questions at the moment. Dick turned to the man with the robot arm, who nodded softly.

“Jim!” called Roy from down the hall. Suddenly, Roy’s head peeped into the room &, just as he almost ran back out, he saw Jim’s body. With an open jaw, Roy ran inside to the bed & clung onto Jim. “Oh my god, Jim!” Roy shook the brother, but noticed the wires & tubes. Roy looked at the trail they led to & gasped. He saw the twin in the wall.

A sudden cry startled everyone in the room. Jim in the bed was suddenly awake & in shock.

“Jim!” Roy called. He leaped onto the bed & hugged his brother tight.

Jim looked up at his brother with a startled look. “Roy, how…?”

“Never mind that, guys, we need to leave now!” Dick spat. He pulled Roy off of the bed & gave Jim a hand off of the bed. Dick began detaching all of the different wires & tubes on Jim’s body, hoping it’d have no effect on him. Dick & Roy each took Jim’s arms & helped him walk speedily.

“Oh, hell no,” called the man in the other bed. He held his robotic cannon arm up towards the three. “You’re not leaving me in this place!”

Dick groaned. “Fuck, fine, okay, get off of your ass & come with us, then!”

The man rose up from the bed & leaped towards the three & rushed passed them & poked his head out of the door of the room. “Clear,” he said. Dick, Roy, Jim & the man all ran through the door & down the hall towards where Rachel, Kori & the green boy were.

“Come on, go, go, go!” Dick roared as a sudden burst of gunfire was shot behind him. He ducked his head low & ran towards Kori, Rachel, & the green boy. Roy, Jim & the half robot stood side by side behind Dick. He turned back to find them defending Dick. Roy shot his bow & arrows at a few of the guards, while the half robot shot some with his cannon arm. Jim began fighting soldiers in close quarters, using ferocious punches & kicks to knock them out. Dick turned see a back door opened from down the hall where Kori, Rachel & the green boy were. Soldiers emerged from that door and began shooting at them. Kori began to float up & shot bursts of plasma at the soldiers. Rachel’s hands began glowing with the purple energy force as she motioned her arms in different directions, tossing soldiers to the side with ease. The green boy stood behind Rachel, unsure what to do.

Dick grunted to himself, & just as he turned back towards the other end of the hall, a soldier had made his way passed Roy & Jim. Dick ran towards the soldier, nightsticks in hand, and swung on at the soldier’s face. The soldier blocked Dick’s attack & kicked Dick in the knee. Dick toppled to the ground, & the soldier brought his foot up for a stomp. Dick rolled to the side, dodging the stomp, then brought his foot up to the soldier’s crotch. The soldier fell to the ground, clutching his groin & crying out in pain. Another soldier lunged at Dick. He sidestepped & brought a nightstick down on the soldier’s head, bringing him to the ground. Dick turned & briefly saw the half robot’s cannon arm swung back, pointing in the space behind himself. Suddenly, the cannon shot a burst of energy into the ground. The floor beneath Dick began to shake, then start to crumble.

Dick turned to leap towards Rachel & Kori, but before he could get himself off of the ground, he fell through the floor along with two of the soldiers & the debris from the floor.

A painful shock went through Dick’s body as he landed on the first block of concrete. He rolled off of that down several more blocks, feeling each bruise on his arms, shoulders & legs. His chest was scrapped, & he felt his jaw and nose hit a hard surface several times. He hit the back of his head on another piece of debris, but quickly rolled off of that & finally came to a stop. Dick groaned as the pain surged through his entire body.

“Dick!” called Kori. Dick turned his head slightly to see her fly through the hole in the roof, down the mountain of debris, towards Dick. She landed softly next to Dick & rolled him over. She lifted him up in her arms and looked down at him. “Dick, are you injured?”

Dick fought hard not to express any pain. He bit his lip & after a few moments, he breathed. “No, I’m okay.” Dick struggled to stand, but Kori helped him up. Dick stumbled in his footing, & clung onto Kori’s arm. He looked up at the mountain of debri, then at the hole in the roof. He had fallen through it. He had fallen into a whole other floor.

Suddenly, Dick heard a fast pace in footsteps. He turned to find a soldier running towards them. Before he could warn her, the soldier smashed a concrete block over Kori’s head, knocking her unconscious. The soldier swung a punch at Dick, but Dick grabbed the arm, twisted it back & brought his other arm down onto it. The arm snapped in half, & the soldier crumbled to the ground, clutching his broken arm. Dick limped over to a nearby block and carry it up to his stomach. He struggled to bring it to where the soldier was, but once he did, he took a deep breath, heaved it up over Dick’s head, & brought it down over the soldier’s head with a fierce force. The soldier’s head was cracked open with blood dripping out from a large gash.

Dick turned to where Kori’s body was. He limped over to her & bent down to her. He shook her to wake her, but she only hummed to himself, as though she were taking a brief nap. Dick sighed and brought himself back up. He surveyed his surroundings to find another way up to the first floor without having to climb the debris up to the hole where the gunfire was.

Dick raised a hand to his earpiece & pressed down on it. “Harper, can you read me?” he called out. The only response he got back was static.

Dick noticed a dark blue light on the other side of the dark underground corridor. Dick limped his way over to the light, grunting with every few steps he took. He was in agonizing pain. His ribs were probably broken, his leg was hurt for the billionth time, he lost some feeling in one arm, & he felt as though he now couldn’t breath without wanting to hack up a lung. Dick shook his head. He couldn’t think of all of the things that were hurting him. He had to push through the pain.

Suddenly, Dick saw a long command board in front of a blue wall. The wall was glass & it was filled with a dark blue liquid that seemed to glow a fluorescent light. Dick approached the command board. He surveyed each of the keys. They were dimly lit with dark neon colored lights. The buttons weren’t labeled at all. Dick was unclear of what to do with the board.

Dick glanced up to the wall. As he got closer, he realized that the wall was in fact a cell. It contained a human body submerged in the blue liquid. It was a boy, maybe Dick’s age. He was tall & muscular with dark black hair. His skin was pale. He wore a black body suit that had the logo of Cadmus stamped on the left pectoral muscle. Underneath was an I.D. number that read  _ “SC-619”. _

Dick shook his head. How the hell was Cadmus getting away with keeping human beings prisoners? What the hell were they doing to these people?

The ground began to vibrate. The havoc taking place up above made the whole room shake, making dust rain down on Dick. Dick looked up at the ceiling, then back at the prisoner. Suddenly his eyes were open.

“Whoa!” Dick cried out, staggering back in shock. The prisoner began pounding closed fists on the glass. He created cracks in the glass & screamed out inside of the water. Bubbles rose up from his mouth in a rapid rate to the surface. He finally threw his arms back & brought them down on the glass, shattering the glass wall entirely.

Water rushed out onto Dick, washing him down onto the floor. The prisoner stepped out of the cell & over Dick’s body. He bent over and reached for Dick’s collar. The prisoner hefted Dick up & shook him violently and aggressively. “You’re one of them!”

“What?” Dick yelped, struggling and squirming out of the prisoner’s grip.

“You wear their sign!” the prisoner growled. “Cadmus!”

Dick looked down at his soldier’s armor, which had the logo of Cadmus on the I.D. card. Dick shook his head. “I’m not one of them, I swear! I only have this one as part of a covert operation. I’m here on a rescue mission!”

“Rescue?” the prisoner asked in a low hoarse voice.

“Yes, rescue! I’m a good guy! I’m here to help, I swear!”

The prisoner looked into Dick’s eyes, as though he were searching for any sign of truth. More than that, it looked as though he were searching for hope.

Dick breathed softly. “I can save you. I can get you out of here.”

The prisoner stared at Dick. He nodded slowly. “Why did they keep me here?”

Dick shrugged. “I don’t know, man.” He turned and pointed at the mountain of rubble & debris. “We need to climb up that & make our way up through that hole. That’s where we’ll escape from.”

The prisoner kept quiet, & followed Dick to Kori’s unconscious body. Dick knelt beside her and lifted her up. He carried her towards the step climb, but before he even stepped foot on the mountain, he felt himself being lifted into the air. He panicked and turned his head around. He found the prisoner holding Dick by his waist and hoisting him up as though he were a sack of potatoes. The prisoner & Dick slowly floated up through the air, towards the hole.

“Oh, you’re one of THEM too, huh?” Dick mumbled sarcastically. “Well, alright then.” Dick suppressed his genuine surprise and focused on holding Kori’s body tight.

After a brief moment, Dick & the prisoner floated up in the air & made their way slowly through the hole in the roof. The three emerged into the first floor, where Rachel & Roy & the rest were still holding back the guards.

“Okay, everyone, push towards the door!” Dick called. Jim approached Dick & held Kori in his arms. Dick grabbed his staff & broke it into two lengths. Dick ran straight towards a soldier with a gun pointed at him and swung one of the sticks across his face. The soldier doubled over, falling to the ground. Dick brought a stick down onto the soldier’s chest, electrocuting him.

Rachel was still using a force field against some of the soldiers. She pressed her force hard against the soldiers at the door and pushed the soldiers away. They each fell onto the ground. “Come on!” Rachel cried out.

Dick gestured for the group to follow. Dick ran with Rachel out of the door, with Roy & the half-robot providing cover fire for the group. Jim held onto Kori as Rachel shot purple forces of energy from her palms to soldiers. Dick surveyed the outside area that they had run out to. There were numerous soldiers, all shooting about the base. A lot were shooting at each other. It took Dick a few moments to realize that some of the soldiers were fighting completely different people. There was a third party involved.

“Everyone, we need to make our way passed the fence as swiftly as swiftly as possible!” Dick said over the gunfire.

Suddenly a soldier ran behind cover a few meters away from the group and began taking fire at the group. Roy quickly strung his bow & snapped it back. He released, shooting the arrow deep into the soldier’s  chest. The soldier dropped his gun & fell back. Dick ran towards the fallen soldier & snatched his gun up & began shooting at soldiers approaching the group. The prisoner began punching a ton of the soldiers that came close to them. The green boy found a metal pipe nearby and began swinging that at a few of the nearby soldiers, providing backup for the larger prisoner.

Dick moved in close, making his way to the group & still providing cover fire for them. Roy was shooting from the back of the group while Dick shot the front. The half-robot shot from the sides. They made their way to the fence in less than a few minutes.

The green boy approached the fence to climb it, but was pulled back by Rachel. “It’s an electric fence. You’ll get fried!”

The half-robot stepped up and aimed his arm at the fence. “Give me a second,” he said softly. The man’s arm charged up with a bright bluish white energy. He glanced back at the group. “I think you guys should back up.”

Everyone took a few steps back, & suddenly he fired the energy pulse out of his arm cannon. The electric fence blew apart, creating large sparks in the air & the ground. The metal fence was broken down, but was now ignited and caught on fire.

“Shit,” the half-robot grunted to himself.

Dick ran up to him & tapped his shoulder. “It’s all good! Just run straight through!”

The group began crying out to Dick as he tossed the gun aside and began sprinting towards the gap where the fence use to stand. The flames were large, but it was unstable; the flames were flickering by the wind. He could make it.

Within a few seconds, Dick ran up to the flames & made a large leap through the flames, feeling a quick burning sensation, but the sensation quickly disappeared. Dick turned around to see where he was standing. He had made his way through the flames & passed the barrier. Dick looked down at his body. The body suit he was wearing showed almost no damage. He felt his face, which was tender to his touch. Apart from that, he felt fine.

Suddenly Dick heard an arrow shoot in some direction. Dick ducked, thinking it was shot towards him. Dick couldn’t spot the arrow. A quick burst of cold wind shot out of the flames, causing the flames to die out fast. Dick stood in front of the charred remains of the burning fence & saw the end of the arrow dug into the ground. Roy stepped right over it, through the charred fence & towards Dick, followed by the group. He shot an angry look at Dick. “Don’t ever do something that stupid again.”

Dick raised an eyebrow at Roy, who marched past him towards the nearby Jeep. Dick didn’t appreciate Roy’s sudden change in attitude. All of a sudden Roy was a careful guy? Dick shook his head, not letting himself get emotional. They needed to exfiltrate the premises.

Dick followed the group & tallied up the amount of people they were suddenly bringing back. There was Roy in front with Rachel beside him. Roy’s brother, Jim, was behind Roy. Jim carried Kori, who was still unfortunately unconscious. Behind Jim & Kori were the three strangers they had managed to save. The young boy with green skin walked in between the black man with the half-robot body & the mysterious prisoner Dick found underground. They had come to Cadmus to save Kori & Jim. They left with a total of five people. How were they going to fit into the Jeep?

Dick turned back to the base, where the soldiers were still fighting the other group of armed forces inside. Dick didn’t know who else had broke into Cadmus & opened fire. Maybe they were the ones who caused the sounding of the alarms. Maybe Dick & everyone was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Dick shook his head. As the group approached the Jeep, Roy stepped inside of the driver seat with Rachel in the passenger seat. Dick directed the half-robot man to step in the backseat alongside the green boy, who embraced Dick with a strong & sincere hug, & Jim, who was still holding Kori. Jim handed Kori’s body to Dick, who held her in his arms. Jim nodded in respect & stepped into the Jeep.

Dick looked down at Kori. She was still unconscious, but Dick had no doubt she was alright. It was a simple knock in the head. She would wake up soon. Her face looked so calm as her lips were raised in a faint smile, as though she was still having a good dream. Dick smiled at her. She was going to be okay. She would wake up soon.

Dick looked up at the prisoner he saved from the underground prison chamber. He stared at the Jeep nervously. Dick smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s going to be okay, man.”

The prisoner nodded softly, looking down at the ground. Dick nodded and walked to the trunk of the Jeep & opened it with his fingertips. Dick struggled to push the Jeep trunk open, but the prisoner helped. Dick nodded to the trunk & shrugged. “I didn’t know we’d have this many people leaving with us. If I did, I would’ve made sure we had a bigger ride.”

The prisoner smiled softly and stepped into the trunk. He bent low to stand inside & sat down with his legs crossed & his back against the wall. Dick laid Kori down on the floor of the trunk & crawled inside as well. He shut the Jeep door & positioned himself across the freed prisoner. Dick brought Kori closer to him and laid her head on his lap as a cushion. She moaned softly to herself. Dick couldn’t help but smile.

Dick looked up at everyone in the Jeep. “Good job, everyone. This was good. We did great. Now, let’s get out of here.”


	30. Outsiders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick returns home, giving refuge to the prisoners of Cadmus.

Dick shut his bedroom door close & took a deep breath. He turned around and surveyed his bedroom. There was four pizza boxe lying across the floor. Two of them had already been eaten, & a third was almost finished beside the green boy & the half-robot man. They were clearly starving. The mysterious prisoner with the dark hair was sitting beside the window with his knees held up towards his chest. He was staring at everyone else with a clear look of anxiety across his face. Rachel was sitting beside Kori, who were both sharing a pizza box together. Kori was barely eating the pizza. Rachel ate her slice regularly, but was holding Kori with one arm around her. She was taking care of her. Roy was beside Jim on Dick’s bed. Roy & Jim were talking, catching up almost.

Harper emerged from Dick’s bathroom & looked up at everyone. She turned to Dick. “Well, I guess the pizza was a good idea.”

Dick sighed. “I thought it’d be good for them to get something to eat since we weren’t followed.”

Harper nodded. “And...bringing them here…”

Dick shook his head. “Where else could they go, Harper?”

Harper was silent for a moment. “Well, on your way here, I continued to hack through Cadmus’ servers & looked into the ones you broke out of the base.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What’d you find?”

Harper cleared her throat. She looked around the room and nodded towards Jim. “That one was apparently cloned. Cadmus abducted him & engineered a superhuman clone capable of abnormal strength, healing, & speed. He’s basically indestructible.”

“Wow,” Dick murmured to himself. “What else did you find?”

Harper nodded to Kori. “They established that Kori was an extraterrestrial being, & they extracted a few blood samples & reproductive cells from her.”

Dick looked down at Harper, trying to find any sort of falter in her to indicate shock. She seemed to have already had her moment of surprise when she first looked into the server.

“Now, those two pigs over there are interesting,” Harper said, gesturing towards the green boy & the half-robot man. “The kid is named Garfield Logan. He’s 15 years old, & apparently his parents were both doctors who worked at Cadmus. They worked in some biology sector when they came across a kind of virus that infected them. They were unaware that they were sick when they came home & brought it to their kid. The doctors died, but when they did, Cadmus took Garfield in to study the effects of the virus. I didn’t get to read what it had done to him, but apparently the virus is now dormant & non-threatening at this point in his life.

“The man is Victor Stone. He’s only 20. He was a handyman at Cadmus. He didn’t get paid a lot, & he didn’t see a lot of what Cadmus really was. He would fix some computers, vehicles, some medical equipment. He was your average Joe. One day, while trying to fix one of Cadmus’ military helicopters, the whole thing fell and crushed the poor guy. Cadmus fixed him up, but they used him as the first for their Cyborg Initiative project. They wanted to engineer the first half-man/half-robot in the world. They studied him for a while, but he was never able to test his abilities.”

Dick looked at the two. They had such tragic stories, but Dick was staring at the two filling up their faces with pepperoni pizza & bonding. They couldn’t be any happier to have been freed.

“What do you think will happen if Victor eats that pizza?” Dick asked. “Like, do you think it’ll clog up the ‘robot’ in him, or…?”

Harper sighed. “The other dude back there, I looked up his prisoner code.  _ SC-619  _ is registered as a classified project. I would be careful with him.”

Dick nodded. He looked back at the prisoner by the window. “Something is off about that dude. He’s a little different.”

Harper scoffed. “Dick, look around your fucking room. There’s something off about everyone in here. Everyone here is a little different.”

Dick chuckled. “You’re right. We all are.”

Harper nodded slowly. “Well, I’m headed out. Good luck with all of this.”

Dick grabbed Harper’s arm before she stepped towards the door. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about your little brother, Harper. We’re going to find him.”

Harper looked up into Dick’s eyes with a look of fear. It quickly turned into rage. “Make sure Nolan Drake suffers a long & painful death, Dick.”

Dick stared at Harper with shock. Harper jerked her arm from Dick’s grip, & then exited the bedroom.

Dick sighed to himself. He shook his head and turned to face the rest of the room. The  _ SC-619 _ prisoner was still sitting by himself. The green boy & the cyborg were sitting together, continuing to enjoy their pizza. Rachel & Kori were both sitting with their backs against the foot of the bed, trying to relax. Roy was beside Jim on the bed, talking.

Dick moved towards Roy & his brother. The two shared a sort of comforting aura that Dick gravitated towards. He approached them with a solemn smile. “Hey, guys,” he said.

Roy looked up at Dick. “Hey, man,” he said with a smile.

Dick turned to Jim. He held out his hand. “We didn’t actually meet. I’m Dick Grayson.”

Jim grinned & shook Dick’s hand. “Yeah. Thank you so much for what you’ve done.”

Dick nodded & removed his hand from Jim’s. He knelt down in front of the two brothers. “How are you feeling, Jim?”

“Great,” Jim answered. “Amazing. I don’t know if it’s the adrenaline pumping in me, but I’m feeling incredibly energized right now.”

Roy turned to Dick. “Yeah, he feels good. I’m pretty sure it’s safe to leave now.”

Dick shook his head. “Well, I don’t know…” Dick sighed & rubbed his face with his hands. He bit his lip, then spoke again. “Roy, remember what we saw in the cell beside your brother?”

Roy stared at Dick. Dick could tell the gears were turning in Roy’s head, & finally, he could see the realization in Roy’s eyes. Dick turned to Jim. “Jim, you’re not...YOU. Cadmus used you as part of a cloning program. You are the result of a successful superhuman clone. You apparently have enhanced strength. You have speed & healing abilities too.”

Dick watched Jim for any sort of sign of comprehension. Jim looked more disappointed than anything, however. Jim nodded slowly, then finally spoke. “See...this kind of makes sense,” he said. “After I awoke at Cadmus, they said something about...an advancement in science. In biological engineering, or something. I heard them mutter the word ‘clone’ before, but I wasn’t sure if it was THAT kind of cloning.”

Dick glanced at Roy, who was staring at Jim, then turned back to Jim. “You...can’t tell…?”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “What?”

Dick turned back to Roy, trying his best to find the right words. “Can you tell that you’re a clone?”

Roy stood up. “Okay, Dick, thank you so much for your help,” he spat out, “but I think I’ve got this.”

Dick stood up & faced Roy. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve got this,” Roy repeated.

Dick shook his head. “Roy, you can’t just leave. I just got your brother out of that Frankenstein lab.”

“No, Dick, WE got my brother out of there. MY brother. From here on out, I got this.”

Dick ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Roy, you & Jim could get captured by Cadmus again! You need to take a few nights to stay here & hide out.”

Roy took a step towards the door. “Look, Dick, I can handle a few soldiers, believe me. And from what you’re saying, Jim can handle himself too. We’re good. We don’t need to bunk out.” Roy glanced to Jim & nodded towards the door. Jim sighed & stood up to follow Roy. Roy turned back to Dick. “Thanks for your help, Dick. Really. I can’t thank you enough. But this is where we bounce.”

Dick opened his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word in, the brothers were already making their way out of the bedroom door. As they shut the door behind them, Dick groaned in frustration. He sighed & paced across the room with his head hung low. He wanted to help. He NEEDED to help. He got Jim Harper out of Cadmus. He was Dick’s responsibility now. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to Jim after escaping. It would destroy Roy.

Dick shook his head. He was overreacting. Roy was right. He could handle things if anything were to happen, right? Both Roy AND Jim. They could...couldn’t they? Dick shook his head to himself. If Roy needed help, he would let Dick know.

Dick nodded to himself & took a deep breath. He turned back to the room. The first person he looked at was Kori, who happened to be looking right up at him. She quickly turned back down into her lap as Rachel stroked her hair & rested her head on her shoulder.

Dick approached the two & sat on the floor across them. “Hey, ladies,” he said softly.

Rachel looked at Dick. She seemed annoyed to have him greet her. “‘Sup,” she snorted rudely.

Kori looked up at Dick with her bright green eyes & a cheerful smile. “Thank you ever so much, Dick, for saving me from that horrible facility. I am forever in your debt.”

Dick felt his cheeks grow warm & red. He looked down at his lap, smiling. “Gee,” he said humbly, “you’re welcome, but...I hope you don’t literally mean that.”

“As Rachel always says, I take things too literally sometimes, so by that logic, I must mean it.”

Rachel looked between Kori & Dick & rolled her eyes. “Gosh, you two bug me together,” she groaned. “Kind of wish we left you over there, Dick.”

Dick turned to Rachel & scoffed. “Yeah, well, if it weren’t for me, Kori wouldn’t be here sitting by your side.”

“Oh, quit the fucking bullshit!” Rachel growled. “Dick, stop acting like this was your fucking holy crusade or something. We all went there tonight. I came for Kori, & I have her now. Roy went for his brother, & they’re together now. We got who we went in for. You brought those other three dipshits, but it’s fine. Everyone is happy, & everyone is safe. SO if you don’t excuse us, we’ll be headed out now.”

Rachel rose up onto her feet & just as she was about to walk towards the bedroom door, Dick stepped in her way. “No, not you too!”

Rachel clenched her fists. “Don’t make me throw you across this fucking room, Dick.”

Dick held his hands up defensively. “Rachel, I’m not trying to piss you off. I just want you two to be safe.”

Rachel shook her head. “Dick, how the hell are we safe here? We’re in a secluded mansion that can be easily traced & broken into. If Cadmus were to track us down & kill us, they could easily do it. We’re not safe here, Dick.”

“Rachel, look around! You’re a fucking supernatural woman, & Kori is a fucking alien! We’ve got a cyborg & two guys who have abilities that we have yet to even discover! I think we’re more than capable of protecting ourselves here, especially altogether.”

Rachel took a deep breath & shut her eyes tight, then opened them up again as she spoke. “Dick, for the love of God, just let me take Kori somewhere else to protect her.”

“Rachel, I know you want to protect Kori, but just let me protect YOU!”

“I don’t NEED you, Dick! I just need to get the hell out of here!”

Dick stared at Rachel for a moment. He bit his lip, but slowly nodded. He took a step aside & gestured towards the door. “Go for it,” he said softly.

Rachel stared hard at Dick, trying to determine how genuine his agreement was. “Go for it, Rachel. Take Kori with you, & go back. Back to wherever you think you’ll be better off. Chinatown? Or will you find another hole in the city to hide in? Because look how great that turned out to be.”

“What happened that night was YOUR fault, you son of a bitch!” Rachel cried. “If you hadn’t brought Constantine to Chinatown, Cheyenne would still be here right now!”

“STOP IT!” Kori cried out. Her scream almost pierced Dick’s hearing. He rose a hand over to his temple & massaged it. His head was truly rattled by the sudden cry.

Kori stood up & walked to Rachel & Dick. She stood in between them. “I do not wish to listen to any more of your petty feuds. I do not enjoy enduring these frightening conflicts amongst friends. Please, let us rejoice in the very miracle of our survival after tonight’s events. Also, I am incredibly tired. I am too tired to want to travel anywhere else for quite some time.”

Rachel looked deep into Kori’s eyes. “Kori…”

Kori shook her head. “Rachel, I appreciate your concern. I truly do. But, after all of this time that you & I have spent together, have you ever once considered what it is that I feel is best for you & I…?”

Rachel kept quiet. Her face showed a sudden shock. Kori had a point. “Our friend is offering refuge in his humble home. We should be ever so grateful for him to even provide us with this opportunity. I, for one, am thankful, & would wish to stay the night. I hope you will stay too, Rachel.”

Dick glanced between Kori & Rachel. He could see Rachel glance back at Dick & pierce into his soul with a deadly stare. She looked back to Kori & sighed in her final defeat. “Okay, Kori. I’m sorry.”

The two quietly sat back down beside the bed. Dick scratched the back of his neck awkwardly & glanced towards the green boy & the cyborg. He sighed & decided to walk over to them. Dick plopped down across from them & nodded. “Hey, guys,” he said softly.

Both glanced up at Dick with slices of pizza in their mouths. The green boy smiled softly. He continued to chew the piece of pizza & began to speak with his mouth full. “Yo,” he said.

The cyborg finished his slice of pizza & wiped his mouth with his bright blue & white hand. “So, um,” he started. “We should thank you for saving our asses back there.”

The green kid choked on his pizza for a sec, then swallowed roughly. He nodded his head fast. “Yeah, yeah, right, my bad!” he apologized. “Thanks dude, for, like, saving us, & buying this pizza too.”

Dick nodded. “Yeah, man, you’re welcome.”

“And also for convincing those two smokin’ hot babes to stay too,” the boy said, nodding towards Rachel & Kori. “What’s the story on the goth one?”

The cyborg elbowed him. “Dude,” he groaned.

Dick chuckled softly to himself. The two were funny. He enjoyed them, despite how strange they really were. He cleared his throat. “I never properly introduced myself. My name is Dick Grayson.”

The cyborg smiled. “Victor Stone,” he said. “He’s Garfield Logan,” he answered for the green boy, who was pizza finishing the last slice of pizza.

“Yeah,” Garfield said with a full mouth, “but call me Logan. Everyone calls me Logan. I like Logan better.”

Dick nodded. “Sure, Logan,” he said with a smile.

Logan looked up at Dick with a raised eyebrow. “So, uh...Dick. Your mother named you that, er…?”

Dick shook his head. “No, my parents just called me that. It’s short for Richard, but I grew up as Dick.”

Logan nodded. He turned to Victor. “Dude, you should get the other box of pizza from those two hot babes.”

Victor rolled his eyes. “Logan, you horny little shit of a pig, would you calm down for ONE second?”

Dick let out a soft laugh. Victor was naturally funny to Dick. He loved it. Dick calmed himself down & began to focus. “Okay, guys, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” he started, “how do you two...feel, being out of containment from Cadmus?”

Victor & Logan looked at each other, then back at Dick. Logan shrugged. “Fine,” he said. “Still hungry. They don’t serve me pizza at Cadmus.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What did they serve you?”

Logan scratched his head, thinking. “Like, Jell-O & peas & mashed potatoes & beef & rice & the occasional slices of cake. Really random shit, but never in my life was I given pizza inside of that stupid cell.”

Dick bit his lip. “You were in there for a while, huh?” he asked.

Logan nodded. “Yep. Since my parents died from whatever killed them.”

Dick slowly nodded, remembering what Harper had told him. “Logan...your parents worked for Cadmus. They were experimenting with a virus that had infected them. They infected you too, but they died from it.For some reason, you never did. Cadmus took you in to study you & the virus.”

Logan stared at Dick. The words were sinking in his head. He nodded. “That...makes sense.” He looked down at the empty box of pizza, then began trying to scratch off a melted bit of cheese from the cardboard. “Where, uh...where did you hear that?”

Dick nodded towards the door. “The blue haired girl who left earlier hacked into Cadmus’ database. She showed me the files they had on you two.”

Logan nodded. Victor sat in silence, looking up & down his body. He sighed softly. “So,” Victor started, “you know how I became like this.”

Dick nodded. “Yeah, man...you’re the first, apparently.”

Victor nodded. He looked up & down his robot arp, which whirred as he flexed his robotic joints. “I guess that counts for something, am I right?”

Dick gave a weak smile. He was proud that Victor had already had some time to accept his condition. The first successful human cyborg.

Logan cleared his throat. “Did the file say whatever the virus did to me?”

Dick shook his head. “No, we don’t know what happened to you.”

Logan nodded. He looked down at himself. He flipped his arms around & scanned his elbows. “I’m not a robot,” he said softly.

Dick stared at Logan, who continued to stare at his arms. Dick slowly turned to Victor, who shrugged. Dick turned back to Logan. “You’re green.”

Logan looked up at Dick. “What?”

Dick blinked in confusion. “Dude, you’re green,” he repeated.

Logan looked down at himself. He looked like he was searching for something on his skin but couldn’t find it. He looked back up to Dick. “Like, green with envy?”

Dick scoffed. “You’re kidding, right?”

Logan stared at Dick. He looked down at himself, totally lost. “What…”

Dick bit his lip. He removed his wallet from his butt pocket & slide a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet. “What color is this?” Dick asked.

Logan looked at the dollar bill & quickly looked back up at Dick. “Yellow,” he quickly answered with such confidence.

Dick let out a deep breath & stuck the dollar bill back in his wallet. “Wait, I don’t win the hundred dollars?” Logan asked jokingly.

Dick sighed. “You’re colorblind, Logan, & your skin is green. Like, really green.”

Logan stared at Dick. “Huh,” he said softly. “That makes sense. But wouldn’t my doctors have said something?” Logan paused to recall whether they did. “The doctors at Cadmus called me something once, & said something about my vision. Something with a D...”

“Deuteranopia,” Rachel called from the bedside. “It’s a form of colorblindness. Your doctors told you that you were colorblind.”

Logan turned to Rachel, to who he smiled at. He laughed softly, continuing to grin at her. “I may be colorblind, but I can still see you’re gorgeous in any color.”

Rachel imitated a gagging expression. “Oh god, don’t make me vomit.”

Kori’s face lit up. “I can fetch a waste bin for you to regurgitate into!”

Rachel shook her head. “It’s an expression, Kori.”

“Oh,” Kori quietly said, looking down in disappointment.

Logan turned to Kori. “What you COULD do, baby, is slide that box of pizza over here & we can share it together.”

“Uh, boy, you’re sharing with ME,” Victor called.

Logan groaned. “Dude, I’m trying to finesse over here!”

Victor shook his head. “Kid, the only thing you’re about to finesse is tomorrow morning’s shit down the toilet.”

Logan & Victor continued to bicker while Rachel shut her eyes, attempting to tune out the sound of the two. Kori looked back & forth between the box of pizza & Logan, unsure of whether she should give it to him or not. Instead, she took a slice of the pizza & began to eat it.

Dick sighed & stood up. He glanced between everyone, then noticed the dark haired boy still sitting by the window. He was staring at Dick when Dick looked up at him, but quickly looked down at his feet. Dick sensed an immense amount of shyness from the guy.

Dick bit his lip, but walked over towards him. As Dick got closer, the boy seemed to begin to panic. He glanced from his feet to the bed straight across from him to the ceiling to the group of teens with the pizza to Dick, then back to his feet. Finally, Dick sat across from the boy & smiled. “Hey,” he said softly.

The boy continued to stare at his feet. He refused to look up at Dick. Dick tried to remember whether the guy even spoke English. He did, didn’t he? Dick recalled hearing him yell at Dick back at Cadmus.

Dick scratched his head. He cleared his throat to try again. “Hello. My name is Dick. What is your name?” Dick articulated.

The boy slowly looked up from his trance, up into Dick’s eyes. He seemed to almost be crying. He shook his head. “I don’t know what my name is.”

Dick stared at him, totally caught by surprise. He didn’t expect that answer. The guy had forgotten his own name? What the hell did Cadmus do to him?

Dick let out a deep breath & nodded. “That’s okay. I’ll help you try to remember.”

The boy’s face contorted softly. He struggled to find the proper words. “I...remember some things. I think. Somehow...I can talk, & speak. I know if I wanted to, I could fight, or fly, but...I don’t know anything about myself…”

Dick watched him as he struggled to put the pieces together. The boy suddenly clung both hands to his head, as if trying to keep his head from exploding. “You’re able to remember your abilities, but not your previous life,” Dick suggested.

The boy loosened his grip on his head. He looked up at Dick, then dropped his hands. “I think so,” he said softly.

Dick nodded. “That’s okay,” he said. Dick turned & gestured to the rest of the group sitting at the other side of the room. “Everyone sitting over there is like you. Each of them have abilities like you, one way or another. Each of them are special, like you. I’m going to help you all, though. I’m going to keep you guys safe for a while.”

The boy nodded. “Okay,” he said with a soft smile. “I’d like that.”

Dick gave a weak smile back at him. Dick had suddenly felt guilty into promising him a safe haven in Wayne Manor. Dick was unsure how long it would be until Bruce found how that he was harboring military experiments in the spare bedrooms of the mansion. Suddenly, Alfred crept into Dick’s thoughts. That old sack of shit would find out about the group easily. Dick cursed to himself. He’d have to convince Alfred to just trust Dick & not tell Bruce about the lost teens. Dick sighed to himself. What the hell had his life become?


	31. Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick makes breakfast for Rachel, Kori, Logan, Victor, & SC-169.

Dick stepped out of the shower the next morning & wrapped the towel around his waist. He stepped through the steaming bathroom & stood in front of the foggy mirror. He used his hand to wipe away the steam & look at his reflection. He ran his fingers through his hair & rested against the edge of the sink, using his palms to prop himself up. He sighed. 

Dick had been able to sneak everyone into their own rooms the night before. He was lucky that Bruce hadn’t seen any of the teenagers. Logan had asked Dick where Rachel was sleeping. Dick shook his head & ignored the question. In the end, Logan had snuck out & gone into Victor’s room, who he instantly hit it off with. Everyone else had slept separately.

By the time Dick managed to sneak everyone to sleep, he was exhausted. He didn’t consider running into Alfred, who had been waiting outside of Dick’s bedroom.

Dick groaned. “What, man?” Dick asked.

Alfred shook his head. “Sneaking in delinquents late at this hour, Master Grayson?”

Dick shook his head. “Don’t tell Bruce, & I’ll explain.”

Alfred shook his head. “No need to explain. Master Bruce is currently in Metropolis attending a business meeting.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Metropolis?”

“Yes,” Alfred nodded. “He left early this afternoon. He’s attempting to successfully sign a contract in regards to his current merge with Lexcorp, trying to secure his assets.”

Dick nodded. “Fascinating,” he said sarcastically. “How long will he be gone?”

Alfred shook his head. “Just a day or two,” he answered. “In the meantime, I will do my best to keep quiet about your guests as long as you assure me that they will not cause any sort of ruckus or severe damage to the property.”

Dick nodded. “Totally dude, you got it.”

Alfred stepped aside from the bedroom door, then quickly spoke again. “I’ve already endured teenage parties when raising Master Bruce. I hope I won’t have to clean up any messes of the sort with this group.”

Dick stepped towards the door & shook his head. “No, man, it’s not like that.” Dick turned back to Alfred. “Thanks, Al, for being cool about this. Goodnight.”

Alfred smiled softly. “Of course. I encourage you to enjoy yourself while you still can. Being this lively during your youth is incredibly important in a teenage boy’s life. Sadly, Master Bruce was never able to completely enjoy himself after he lost his parents. He wouldn’t let himself. Not truly, anyway.”

Dick stared at Alfred. He had been through alot with Bruce; that much was clear now. He knew what Bruce was like as a child. He made Bruce seem like such a downer compared to how Bruce lived now. The playboy billionaire led an extravagant lifestyle, & it seemed as though nothing would ever be wrong for Bruce. Dick shrugged the thoughts away as Alfred slowly made his way down the long spiral stairs. He went to sleep somewhat peacefully that night.

Dick nodded to himself as he stared in the mirror at his reflection the next morning. He felt calmer, now. He felt good about what he had done. For Kori, for Victor, Logan, all of them. He had given them a roof over their head for the night. Dick saw his reflection smile softly. He felt genuine. He was happy.

Dick stepped from the mirror & walked out of the bathroom door. He went to his bed where he had some jeans & a t-shirt laid already laid out. He began to dress himself, then sat down on the bed. He began to check his phone for any messages. He had none. No Roy, no Harper, & no Barbara. Not even Gordon or Bruce left him any sort of messages. Dick suddenly realized how small his group of friends was. Then the thought struck him. Suddenly...he considered that he had actual friends. Not just...acquaintances. The idea made him smile.

Dick stuck his phone into his pocket and sat up from his bed. He walked to his bedroom door & made his way downstairs. He walked through the foyer of the mansion towards the kitchen, where he found Alfred picking up a hat from the island table, & placing it over his head.

“‘Sup, Al,” Dick called. “Heading out?”

Alfred turned back to Dick. “Ah, Master Grayson,” he said. “Yes, I was just on my way out to pick up a few groceries that is required.”

Dick grinned. “Sweet, can you get some Nutella? Maybe some drinks too, while you’re at it?”

Alfred nodded. “Of course. Is there any particular drink you wish for me to purchase?”

Dick shrugged. “Dude, I don’t know, anything. Vodka, maybe?”

Alfred stared at Dick & rolled his eyes. He adjusted his hat & walked past Dick. “If you really wish to drink liquor, the real alcohol is in Master Bruce’s office.”

Dick watched as Alfred walked out of the kitchen, out of the foyer, & out the front door. Dick had the largest smirk on his face. He was now home alone AND knew where the liquor was.

Dick wrapped two hands around his lips & called out through them. “THE COAST IS CLEAR, GUYS!”

Dick waited for a brief moment. After a while, he heard steps rushing down the halls. He first saw Logan & Victor tumbling down the stairs. “Is there breakfast?” they both called from the foyer.

Dick glanced back at the kitchen, then to the two boys as they slid by. “No, but I can cook something real quick.”

The two stared at the kitchen in amazement. “Gee,” Logan started, “this is a really sick pad, dude.”

Victor nodded. “Hell yeah, you got yourself that luxurious lifestyle!”

Dick shrugged. “It’s not mine, but thank you,” Dick said. He was about to turn to the stove to begin making something when he saw a bright pink streak zoom through the foyer into the kitchen.

Suddenly, the pink streak was Kori was standing beside Dick. She peered her head over Dicl’s shoulder. “I heard someone say something about breakfast being made…”

Dick laughed softly. “Yeah, Kori. I’m about to cook for you all.”

Kori smiled. “Oh, that is wonderful!” Kori moved towards the island & took a seat at one of the stools placed around it. Logan & Victor followed suit.

Finally, Dick caught a glimpse of Rachel floating slowly through the air towards the kitchen. SC-169 was walking slowly a few steps being Rachel. Dick smiled. “Are you two hungry?”

Rachel shrugged. “I could eat,” she said solemnly. SC-169 stayed quiet.

Dick nodded. “Okay, well, take a seat & tell me what you’re hungry for. Waffles? Eggs? Pancakes?”

“It’s 2:47 PM, Dick,” Rachel grunted.

“Pancakes!” Logan cried out.

“Yeah, I say pancakes too, man,” Victor said nonchalantly.

Kori rose a hand up. “I am sorry to ask, but what exactly is a pancake?”

Dick slowly turned to SC-169. “What do you think, man? Pancakes?”

SC-169 glanced up at Dick & shrugged. “That sounds fine,” he said softly.

Dick nodded. “Okay, gimme a second, guys,” Dick said.

Dick began rummaging through the fridge to remove the ingredients needed to make pancakes. He remembered his mother cooking him pancakes while they would travel. He tried to remember the required ingredients. He knew he needed milk & eggs. He needed flour too, right? Dick did his best, but eventually he began creating the batter.

As Dick stirred the batter, he heard Logan speak. “So, I don’t think I caught your name last night.”

There was silent behind Dick. After a sudden clearing of a throat, SC-169 spoke. “I didn’t,” he said softly. “I, um...don’t remember my name. Or anything.”

There was another brief moment of silence. Dick continued to stir the batter in order to fill the dead awkward silence with some sort of sound. “So, you’re an amnesiac?” Logan asked. “That’s kind of cool, though. Like, you’re that crazy hot dude who’s just searching for himself that all of the babes would be pouncing onto.”

“Yo, you got a guy-crush or something?” Victor scoffed under a laugh.

“Hardy-har-har!” Logan called. “Nah, bro, this breathtakingly beautiful gothic babe down here is the love of my life, not pretty boy over here,” Logan joked, nodding from Rachel to SC-169.

“In your dreams, you little shit of a twerp,” Rachel hissed at Logan.

Logan let out a soft chuckle. He cleared his throat once more. “No, but if I look at you & think of a name for you…” Logan began observing SC-169, as though he would find clues about him in his physical appearance. “You look like you would be named Conner.”

After a brief moment, Dick turned around to look at the group. Everybody was eyeing SC-169, who awkwardly stared back.

“I could see that,” Dick said.

SC-169 glanced to Dick. He raised an eyebrow. Victor chimed in from across the tabletop. “You know what, I bet his name really could’ve been Conner,” Victor added.

Rachel nodded. “Conner suits him.”

Kori smiled. “I would enjoy getting a new name as well,” she said.

Rachel sighed. “You KNOW your name, Kori.”

Dick laughed softly, then turned to SC-169. “Do you like that name?” he asked.

He looked up at Dick & smiled softly. He nodded. “Yeah...I think I want to be called Conner. For now. At least until I find out who I really am.”

Dick smiled. “Hey, there you go. We’re already making progress for you!”

Dick turned back to cooking the pancakes as the group began to delve further into discussion behind him.

“So, brother, tell me, how DID you manage to fix yourself up with this fine ass mansion?” Victor asked.

Dick sighed. “Well, that’s a weird story. But basically, out of nowhere, Bruce Wayne tracked me down & brought me here. Technically, I couldn’t do anything because he’s my legal guardian.”

“Wait, so we’re in Bruce Wayne’s house?” Logan asked.

Dick nodded. “Yeah, but he’s out in Metropolis, so we won’t be seeing him for the next day or so.”

“Wait,” Logan said. “Bruce Wayne...eats in this kitchen?”

“Another guy-crush,” Victor hummed.

Dick rolled his eyes. The group began to bicker among themselves. Conner had suddenly began to smile, taking part in their jokes with his subtle laughter. Dick felt good about this very moment.

Dick eventually had a pan filled with pancakes stacked on one another. He set the pan straight on the tabletop & set out plates for everyone. He then scavenged the fridge for syrup & grabbed a few bananas & strawberries. He placed them all around the pancakes for everyone to eat with their pancakes.

“Hey, um, you got any nutella?” Logan asked with his mouth full of banana mush.

Dick groaned. “You know, I fucking wish I did right now. I sent our butler out to go get some.”

“And this nigga has a butler!” Victor called.

Dick shrugged. “Yeah, well, for the record, him & Wayne are kind of a pain in the ass whenever they’re around.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Quit complaining.”

Logan nodded. “Yeah. I figured it’d be awesome to live with a billionaire & a butler.”

Dick bit into his pancake. He shrugged. “I guess...it’s nice to have a nice house. But it doesn’t make it a home...you know?”

A brief moment of silence washed the kitchen out. Dick noticed everyone look down at their plates & softly nod in agreement. He realized that he hit a soft spot for everyone around the table. Each & every one of them had been taken from their home, one way or another. Each of them was lost in some sense. None of them had a real home at the moment.

Kori looked up at Dick. “What...DID happen to home, Dick?”

Dick turned to Kori. She stared straight at him with her big open green eyes. He looked away. “I, uh...I was orphaned when I was young. My parents were killed in the circus. Ever since then, I’ve just been around.”

Rachel nodded. “That’s how you knew Cheyenne,” she said softly. “You knew her from an adoption agency or something?”

Dick sighed. “We met in an orphanage, but yeah.”

“Wait, who’s Cheyenne?” Logan asked as he cut his third pancake.

“She was our friend,” Kori answered. She turned to Dick. “She was also one of Dick’s old friends, I believe.”

“Was?” Logan repeated.

Victor nudged Logan’s shoulder hard. “Dude,” he grunted.

Logan stared at Victor, then suddenly guilt washed over his face. “Oh. Sorry,” he said, turning to Dick.

Dick bit his lip, then turned back down to his pancake & began cutting it.

 

Victor cleared his throat. “So, um, the circus?” he asked. “How did that happen? Like...a lion got loose, or…?”

Dick shook his head. “No, a mob boss set our circus on fire to get at the owner.”

“Oh,” Victor nodded. He took a bite of his pancake, then looked back up to Dick. “Wait, ‘our’ circus?”

Dick looked back up at Victor. “Yeah, I was in the Haley Circus. I was a Flying Grayson.”

Victor stared blankly at Dick. Dick turned to Logan & Rachel, who both shared the same look. Kori had no idea what Dick was talking about, & Conner had no memory of anything. He had finally found the group of people who didn’t know him as a Flying Grayson.

Dick shrugged. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “My parents & I were awesome acrobatics.”

Everyone continued to eat their breakfast. Logan cleared his throat, interrupting another brief silence. “So,” Logan started, “we should, like, keep going.”

“Keep going with what?” Rachel asked.

“Well, sharing,” Logan said. “Like, Dick, you told us some heavy stuff just now. Tell us more. LIke, is Dick a God-given name? Or what about Rachel’s fine ass? Where the hell has SHE been all my life? Is Victor a thug or softy at heart? Is Conner, like, a life-size Ken doll or something? Come on. We should share something. We could start with our powers or whatever.”

“Hah!” Victor called out. “Yeah, speaking of powers, what the fuck is yours, kid?” Victor asked Logan.

Logan shrugged. “I don’t know. Being green, apparently.”

“Maybe it’s your color-blindness?” Kori suggested with such sincerity.

“Maybe it’s your dipshit-ness,” Rachel muttered.

“Now, real talk, what is the deal with you?” Victor asked Rachel. “Like, you’re clearly some type of goth, but...what the fuck is THIS going on?” he asked, gesturing to her cloak she wore.

Rachel took a deep breath. “Well, I’m half-human, half-demon, & my dad is kind of evil.”

The group stayed silent for a moment.

“Evil, like...a dick?” Logan asked.

“Evil like the Devil.”

Logan nodded. “Cool. My dad was a doctor.”

Dick smiled to himself. The situation that had unfolded before him was incredibly outrageous. Nothing about their conversation would make any sort of sense in any other life, but right there, in that moment, it didn’t matter for Dick. He was okay with it all. For a second, everything felt normal.

“My father Myand’r, king of my home planet Tamaran,” Kori announced.

“What the fuck, yo? A demon AND an alien?” Victor cried. “Aw, hell nah.”

“No, dude. A HOT demon & a HOT alien,” Logan said with a huge smirk on his face.

“Kid, I swear to god, I will destroy your soul,” Rachel spat at Logan.

Logan grinned. “And I believe you, demon babe,” he joked.

Rachel rolled her eyes & bit into a pancake. “Dick, how long do I have to be cooped up here with this twerp?” she asked Dick.

Dick thought about it. He considered the possibility of them not having to stay in the mansion all day. Bruce would be gone for at least another day. Alfred would be gone, & if he did show up, he may not bother to check on Dick & the gang. They could honestly have a day out for themselves.

Dick considered Cadmus, & the possibility of them hunting down everyone. But Cadmus would’ve found them already if they were still looking for them, right? It’s not like they went exactly off the grid. The military organization would’ve found them if they were really looking into the missing patients. They might’ve been focused on other issues since the raid, such as the mass produced chemical weapon that Dick destroyed. Cadmus was busy. The gang was safe for the night.

Dick smiled. “We go out tonight,” he announced.

Everyone turned to Dick. He went on. “We’re fine. I’m convinced Cadmus isn’t going to show their face again, or at least for a while. Plus, we’ve all had a hell of a few days. Lord knows I’m sure as hell tired of shit. We could all use a break. We need to wind down. So yeah, we should all go out tonight.”

“Where do you propose we go tonight?” Kori asked.

“Let’s hit up a club,” Logan suggested. “I used to know dudes who would sneak into the Iceberg Lounge. It’s pretty mad crazy.”

Dick smiled. “Iceberg Lounge,” he said in agreement.

Victor shook his head. “Logan, dude. We can’t go to a club. I’m half-robot & you’re Kermit the Frog.”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Dude, it’s a nightclub. Nobody is going to see you.”

Victor scoffed. “Clearly you’ve never been in a nightclub.”

Dick glanced to Rachel & cleared his throat. “Do you think you could…” Rachel stared at Dick with an intense look, as though daring him to finish his sentence. Dick bit his lip, but challenged her anyway. “You probably know a spell that can help them blend in, right? Like a Cinderella with a Fairy Godmother type of thing?”

Rachel narrowed her eyes at Dick. “Did you just call me a fairy?” Dick raised an eyebrow at Rachel. She continued. “You’re the fairy, bitch.”

Dick sighed. He nodded softly, then continued to eat his pancakes. After a brief moment, Rachel nodded. “But yeah, I know a concealing spell.”

Dick looked up at Rachel & smiled. She gave a faint smile back. Dick turned to Logan & Victor. “I gotchu,” he said. He turned to everyone else. “Ladies & gentlemen, we are hitting the clubs tonight.”


	32. Bloody Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick brings the gang to a nightclub.

Dick sat in the passenger seat of the large Hummer that he had hot wired out of Bruce Wayne’s garage. Victor was behind the wheel, while Logan, Conner, Kori & Rachel sat in the back of the vehicle. Dick struggled to find a car that would fit all six of them. Logan had suggested that they steal a four door sports car, but Dick reminded him that the four in the back would be squished. Rachel was entirely against that.

They had driven out early in the afternoon & got pizza for lunch. They had Dick & Conner get the pizza, seeing as everyone else had an alarming attribute to their appearance. They then drove the Hummer to the back of a nearby parking lot & ate the pizza in the car. It wasn’t what a group of people would normally do, but it was good enough for the moment.

After a few hours, the sun began to set. The group had started to drive their way to the Iceberg Lounge in the Diamond District of Gotham. The drive took them around 30 minutes with the oncoming traffic. By 8:00 PM, they had reached the club.

Victor parked the Hummer across the street & turned back to look at everyone. “Okay, we’re here,” he announced.

“Sweet!” Logan cheered. He attempted to open the door & climb out of the car when Rachel yanked him back by his collar. “Ack!”

“Not yet, dipshit,” Rachel said. “You still look like a booger.”

Logan sighed. “Come on! I wanna go!”

Dick shook his head. “Not yet. We have to let Rachel cast her spell on you guys before you get onto the street.”

Victor nodded. “Alright man, I trust you.”

Rachel nodded. “It’ll be painless.”

Dick began to climb out of Hummer. He opened the car door & went around to the back door to let out Kori & Conner. They both stepped out of the car & began to cross the street. Dick held the door open for Rachel & Logan as well, while Victor exited out of the driver seat. Logan went to Victor’s side & the two began to chat.

Dick pulled Rachel aside. “So you can cast the spell?” Dick asked softly.

Rachel nodded. “Yeah, I can. It’s not too hard, actually.”

Dick smiled. “Good,” he said. As he spun to turn around, Rachel grabbed his arm to stop him. He glanced back at her.

“There’s a catch,” Rachel says.

Dick raised an eyebrow at Rachel. She continued. “What I’m casting is called a Mist. It’s a concealment spell that will provide a sort of disguise for the boys. No one will see the green skin or the machine limbs. But the spell is going to attract...supernatural forces.”

“Supernatural forces?” Dick asked.

“Demons,” Rachel simply said. “Demons & supernatural people, like me & Zatanna & Constantine, we’ll be able to see through the Mist & feel it’s presence.

“So people who have powers,” Dick said.

Rachel shook her head. “People who practice magic,” she corrected.

Dick raised his eyebrows. “There’s a difference?”

Rachel nodded. “In a matter of speaking, yeah. But this spell will attract those things. So Victor & Logan are going to be in danger if I cast this spell.”

Dick let what she was saying sink into his head. Rachel continued. “I just wanted you to know what would happen. This is up to you.”

Dick looked back at Logan & Victor. The two stood by the hood of the car, entirely oblivious to the discussion Dick & Rachel were having. They had no idea what the cost of this spell would be. Dick wanted them to be safe. That’s why he had brought them into the mansion to begin with; to protect them.

Dick felt, however, that what the boys needed more than protection was happiness. He felt that’s what Rachel also needed. He felt Kori needed that as well. He felt Conner needed it more than anyone else. They deserved a night out to have fun. If this spell was the only way Dick would be able to give Logan & Victor the fun they deserved, then he should do it.

“Cast the spell,” Dick said. Rachel stared back at Dick with raised eyebrows, as if to ask if he was certain. Dick nodded, & watched as Rachel walked over to Victor & Logan. She began to explain the process of the spell. Victor nodded in agreement. Logan smiled. “ I may not be smart enough to do everything, but I’m dumb enough to try anything,” he said.

Dick smiled at their enthusiasm. He nodded in relief, & began to walk towards the entrance of the Iceberg Lounge. He noticed Conner & Kori waiting by the line, but not exactly waiting IN the line. Dick sighed & began to make his way to the two.

“Hello, Dick,” Kori called as Dick approached them. “Are we ready to enter the nightclub?”

Dick shook his head. “Not exactly,” he said. “Rachel is still doing her thing, but... you two are supposed to wait in the line to get in.”

Kori & Conner both glanced at the line. It stretched all the way down the block & around the corner. “But it’s long,” Conner said.

Dick shrugged. “That’s how it normally works. I figured you two would’ve already been in line.”

“Oh dear,” Kori began to say. “I sincerely apologize. I should have known better. Do you believe we will need to wait a long time in order to get in?”

Dick bit his lip & surveyed the area. He glanced to the front doors of the entrance. He noticed the large club bouncer. He was standing by the doors, near the front of the line. He let the next few people with cash in, & then he stopped a group of girls. They were wearing skanky skirts & slutty length lingerie, or what they might consider to be a dress. They, however, managed to sweet talk their way into having the bouncer let them in.

Dick smiled. “No,” he said. “I think we’ve got this.”

Dick turned back to look at Kori. She was wearing tight jeans & a low cut purple blouse. He scratched his jawline in thought. “Do you mind if I adjust your outfit?” he asked.

Kori tilted her head at Dick, unsure of what he meant. Dick took a deep breath & slowly stepped to Kori. He grasped the bottom hem of Kori’s bouse & began to tear it apart slowly. Kori gasped softly, but quickly silenced herself as she finally noticed what Dick was doing. “Are you attempting to make me more appealing to the man standing guard in front of the night club entrance?”

“Yes, Kori, I am. The club bouncer lets girls in who look hot, so I’m making you hot.”

“But Dick, I am actually colder with the shorter garment.”

Dick glanced up at Kori. Her big green eyes showed how serious she was. Dick fought hard not to laugh. “I’m sorry,” he simply said as he continued to tear at it.

Dick finally removed a good three inches from Kori’s outfit, then tossed the piece of cloth to the side. He ran his fingertips through her hair & tousled her bright red hair, creating a mix of messy & sexy.

Dick stepped back to look at what he had created. He nudged to Conner & nodded at Kori. “Does she look hot?” Dick asked.

Conner glanced between Dick & Kori, unsure of what to say. “Wait, what? Me?”

Dick sighed. “Never mind, bro. You’re good,” he said with a soft laugh.

Dick brought Kori & Conner towards the entrance of the night club, where Dick managed to subtly shove through the front of the long line. He pressed Kori towards the club bouncer, who turned & glanced down at Kori. He was a tall, muscular black guy with a body built for football. He had a stern face, but the second he saw Kori, his stern face melted & revealed a smitten young man’s grin. “Good evening, ma’am,” he said in a deep voice.

Kori smiled. “Good evening, sir. May my friends & I enter?”

“What friends?” the bouncer asked, glancing towards the line to try & find other women that Kori might be referring to.

Kori reached for Dick & Conner’s hands & shook them in her hands. “These friends!” Kori called, with a large smile.

The bouncer glared at Conner & Dick. He turned to Kori & nodded towards the door. “You can go in, sweetheart. I’m gonna need to talk to these two right now.”

Kori nodded. “Okay,” she said before walking up the stairs & through the front doors.

Dick groaned to himself & shook his head. That didn’t go as planned.

“I’m sorry,” Conner said hesitantly, “but I really don’t think we should be leaving our friend alone in there. She gets easily confused when she’s by herself.”

“She won’t be,” the bouncer said. “She’s got 300 other easily confused girls in there to back her up.”

Dick turned to Conner & patted him on the shoulder for making a good effort to talk the bouncer into letting them in. Dick turned to the bouncer & cleared his throat. “Please, sir, we don’t wanna keep you busy.”

“ID’s, please,” the bouncer said with a palm outstretched.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t it, like, 16 & over tonight?” he asked, trying to play it off.

The bouncer shook his head. “No, it’s not. ID’s, or leave.”

Dick bit his lip. He knew he shouldn’t let himself get angry, but the bouncer was really making Dick angry. Dick took one step back & looked up & down the bouncer. He smirked softly. “How about we go one-on-one, & if I beat your ass, you let me & my buddy in.”

The bouncer reached for a gun holstered on his waist. “How about you leave the premises before I have to call the police?”

Dick grinned. “Go ahead. I’m cool with the police department.”

The bouncer raised an eyebrow. “Kid, you better quit testing me.”

“Lil’ Dee!” Victor called out as he crossed the street.

Dick & the bouncer both turned around to look at Victor. Dick silently gasped as he saw Victor. Victor was no longer a cyborg; he was completely human. His robotic arm & metal plates were all gone. Trailing behind Victor was Logan, who’s hair was suddenly orange & skin was pale. Both resembled...normal looking people. It was strange, but...they looked happy.

“Victor fucking Stone?” the bouncer called. Victor walked up to him & shook his hand, then embraced him in a strong brotherly hug. “I haven’t see your ugly ass since that New Year’s Eve party. Remember, you had that bitch all up on you?”

Victor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, man.”

“What was her name, bro?”

Victor gave Lil’ Dee a death stare. “I don’t know, Dee. I’m just tryna have another night out with my friends.”

Lil’ Dee laughed. “With these kids?” he scoffed with a snarky tone. “I guess, man.” Lil’ Dee stepped aside, allowing the group to entire the night club. Dick walked past Dee with Kori & Conner trailing behind him, then Logan & Rachel, with Victor shaking Dee’s hand before entering the club.

Dick gazed up at the interior of the Iceberg Lounge. The color scheme was white & blue, with smoky fog resembling that of the fog in an icy environment. The turnout of the night was immense, as the dance floor was filled with the silhouettes of hundreds of dancing spirits. The music blared & resonated through the night club, humming & vibrating in the inside of Dick’s chest. The strobe lights at the DJ’s stage shone & flashed in all directions, emitted cool colors of the winter season. Dick smiled. He wish he had brought Barbara to the Iceberg Lounge.

“Whoa, dude,” Logan gasped. “This place is sick!”

“Welcome to your first night out, kid,” Victor said, patting Logan on the back.

Logan turned to Victor & Dick. “Where do I go?”

Victor raised an eyebrow. “Psh, anywhere, dude. Just don’t be following me around like a puppy. I’m gonna try & score. You find something to keep yourself busy.” With that, Victor swaggered off to the bar & took a seat next to a group of ladies & began to chat them up.

Logan turned to Dick helplessly. “Seriously, where would I go?”

Dick smiled. “Logan, do whatever you want. Dance. Relax. Take a seat. Meet somebody. It’s your night to kick back & be finally free.”

Logan smiled softly, & turned back to the crowd nervously. Dick watched as Rachel walked past Dick & Logan towards the bar. Logan noticed Rachel &, without a second thought, followed her to the bar. Dick sighed. Logan was probably too nervous to go out & go crazy. He would act friendly & outgoing in private, but in public, it seemed it was just a little shy still. Maybe it was too early to push him into a place like this. Maybe Dick had pushed this night too hard.

Conner approached Dick & nudged him. “So...this is what you guys do at night?”

Dick turned to Conner. “Apart from breaking into military bases & rescuing teenage test subjects, sure.”

Conner smiled softly. He turned back to the crowd. “I see a few seats. I might just wait over there,” he said before walking off towards the distance.

Dick felt a presence behind him. Dick glanced to his side & noticed Kori, holding her hands up to her head & pressing them hard against her ears. She winced as she opened her eyes to look at Dick. “It is quite bright & loud!” she cried.

Dick bit his lip. Even Kori was having a rough time. He glanced to the lounging area, where Rachel was already sitting with Logan beside her. Conner was sitting a few seats away, but near them still. The three were having drinks. The bar was directly next to the lounging area. Dick scanned the area for Victor, but noticed him dancing with a young woman.

Dick turned to Kori. “Want to go over there?” he asked, pointing at the bar.

Kori nodded her head frantically, squinting her eyes to avoid the flashing lights. Dick took one of her hands & led her through the crowd of sweaty dancers & brought her to the bar, where there were a few empty seats. Dick helped Kori up onto one bar seat, & he climbed up onto the one beside hers. He looked at her. “Is this better?” he asked.

Kori removed her hands from her ears slowly, but quickly pressed them against her ears. “It is still quite loud!” she cried.

Dick nodded. He turned to the shelfs on the wall of the bar. They were chrome shelves with drinks laid out all across them. The wall itself was a mirror with blue neon lights lit behind the mirror itself. Dick gestured to the wall. “But there’s no more flashing lights,” Dick mentioned.

Kori nodded slowly. “That is true,” she said with a faint smile.

Dick smiled back. He turned to a nearby bartender & whistled. The bartender glanced at Dick & walked over. “What can I get you?” the bartender asked.

Dick smiled. “Can I get some Bloody Fire?”

The bartender nodded & walked away.

Kori turned to Dick. “What did you just ask for?” she asked in genuine fear.

Dick smiled. “It’s just a drink, Kori. Don’t worry,” he said, reassuring her with a light touch on her thigh. He turned back as the bartender arrived with a bright red drink. Dick thanked the bartender & slid the glass across the counter & slowly stirred the liquid in the glass. Dick lifted the glass & took a slow sip. “Ahhh,” Dick sighed in satisfaction. “Now THAT is fucking good.”

Kori stared at the glass. “I do hope it is not real blood.”

Dick grinned. He slid the glass towards Kori. “Have a sip,” he offered.

Kori looked down into the glass with caution. She looked back up at Dick, who nodded to her. Kori smiled, convinced that the drink was fine & lifted the drink slowly. She took a small sip & smacked her lips, tasting the liquid across her lips. The red liquid left her lips bright red. Kori smiled. “Mmm! How sweet!”

Dick let out a laugh & ordered a second glass of Bloody Fire for Kori. As the second drink arrive, Dick grabbed his glass & lifted it up. Kori followed suit. “To a night of freedom,” he toasted.

Kori clinked the glass with Dick’s. “To a night of freedom!” Kori slurped on the drink, confusing Dick. “What?” she asked.

Dick shook his head. “I didn’t think you’d know how to toast,” he said bluntly.

Kori rolled her eyes. “Please. I may be a foreigner to your planet, but I have similar celebratory customs on my home planet.”

Dick sighed. He took another sip from his glass & swallowed. “I still can’t wrap my head around you being a freaking alien,” he said jokingly.

Kori looked at Dick with a confused look. “I don’t understand,” Kori started. “Are you mocking me?”

Dick’s eyes widened in embarrassment & shook his head. He set his glass down & took Kori by her hands. “No, no! I’m not, I swear I’m not making fun or anything!” Dick looked at Kori with the most sincerity. He cleared his throat & sat up. “I just meant that...I don’t know. Everything has changed so quickly. From me coming home to Gotham, to me having to fight thing crazy Nolan Drake bastard, to working with the Batman, breaking into Cadmus, meeting supernatural beings & people with superpowers & aliens. It’s all just so much, you know? And I’m just...Dick.”

Kori nodded slowly, carefully listening to what Dick was saying. When he finished, Kori looked up at Dick & placed her hand in his. “I understand now. You feel overwhelmed by the recent changes that have occurred in your life. If I understand correctly, you also feel threatened by the feeling of a sudden lack of power & control?”

Dick thought about Kori’s hypothesis. He nodded. “I guess so, yeah.”

Kori nodded. “Dick, I do not believe you deserve to feel this way about yourself. You have been a tremendous person ever since I have met you. You have been courageous & friendly & kind & heroic. All of these qualities in someone are more valuable than any given power or ability or gift. The most important power, I believe, is the power of the heart. You have that, Dick. Do not ever forget this.”

Dick stared at Kori. A smile slowly grew across his face. “Gosh,” he said softly. “That was...wow.”

Kori raised an eyebrow. “What?” she asked curiously.

Dick shook his head. “Nothing. Just...thank you. For telling me all of that. I needed that.”

Kori smiled. She reached for her Bloody Fire & raised it up. “To Dick Grayson’s heroics,” she toasted.

Dick clinked his glass with hers & took a sip. As he set his glass down, Rachel appeared next to him. “‘Sup,” she said, nodding to Dick.

Dick straightened himself. “Hey,” he said with a smile. “Got away from Logan finally, huh?” he joked.

Rachel looked at Dick & nodded. She turned to Kori. “Are you okay?”

Kori nodded, sipping on her drink. She held it out towards Rachel. “Dick got me this wonderful beverage. Would you like to taste it?”

Rachel shook her head, then turned back to Dick. “You’re feeding Kori alcohol?”

Dick shook his head. He reached for his glass & took a sip. “It’s non-alcoholic.”

Rachel glanced between Dick & Kori. She rolled her eyes & took a seat next to Dick. He turned back to Rachel. “Are you having a good time?” Dick asked her.

“No,” Rachel spat. “I’m bored. It’s loud as fuck in here, & I’ve already had three guys try to rub their cocks all over me.”

Dick sighed softly. “I’m sorry,” he apologized.

Rachel waved her hand. “It’s okay. It’s fine. It’s whatever.”

Dick bit his lip. He felt bad. He had only wanted to give a good night to the gang & let them be happy for a while. Dick turned back to Kori, who was turned back to the dancefloor. Instead of squinting, she was suddenly mesmerized by the lights. “You okay?” Dick asked.

Kori nodded with a smile. “Yes, I am. I am growing used to the lights & sounds.”

Dick smiled. He nodded towards the dancefloor. “Do you wanna go up there?”

Kori turned to Dick with raised eyebrows, excited for the offer. Kori nodded happily & slid off of the bar seat, making her way to the dancefloor.

Dick was about to follow suit when Rachel gripped his arm. He turned to her. “What?”

“Dick, what are you doing?” she asked him.

Dick glanced from Rachel to Kori then back at Rachel. “I’m...going to dance with Kori?”

Rachel stared at Dick intensely, as though she were attempting to shoot lasers out of her eyes & into his skull.

Dick shrugged. “What’s the problem, Rachel?”

“Well, Dick, first off, I’m really not sure about this whole night to begin with. We shouldn’t be out in the open like this. Like, at all. But I understand, you’re trying to make an effort to allow us to be happy & have fun, lay back, whatever the fuck it is. It’s okay. What’s REALLY pissing me off is whatever it is you’re trying to do with Kori.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” he scoffed. “This is about Kori?”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Dick. Way to keep up.”

Dick sighed. “Look, I don’t know what it is that you’re pissed about. I’m trying to give a good time to you guys after the shit that’s happened in the last few weeks.”

Rachel shook her head. “Asshole. You’re only occupying yourself with Kori.”

Dick took a step closer to Rachel. He was close enough to see the small specks of color in her dark eyes. “Rachel, please. Stop it. I’m doing the best I can for you, guys. I really am. I’m trying to not make you all into prisoners stuck in a mansion, but I can’t cut you all loose & leave you in the open with all of the danger around us. I’m trying to find the line between it all.”

Dick began to lose breath. He was suddenly feeling panicky. He didn’t know why. Rachel stared back at Dick, eyes suddenly without judgement, but with concern. Dick continued. “Kori said that...what I’ve been doing for you, for her, for everyone...is heroic. I’m TRYING to be heroic. I’m trying to fulfil my duty right now. Protecting you guys, stopping Nolan Drake & Cadmus. I’m trying. I’m doing the best I can. But suddenly...I don’t know. After meeting you all, & seeing your powers & abilities...I can’t help but feel so powerless compared to you all.”

Rachel shook her head. She grabbed one of Dick’s hands & held it tight. “Look at me, Dick.” Dick looked up at her. She sat forward, close enough for her to speak softly to Dick. “It’s okay, Dick. No one can be super all the time.”

Dick let the words sink in. He looked up at Rachel, who gave a soft smile. She slowly removed her hand from Dick’s & sat back against the bar. “You’re trying. I guess the effort is what counts, right?” Rachel waved her hand up in the air. “Go dance. Do whatever. Go relax from being a hero, Dick.”

Dick nodded with a smile. He turned & began making his way to the dancefloor. He surveyed the exterior of the crowd to find Kori, then began to worry about Kori began stuck too far inside of the crowd. Dick began to shove his way past the various dancers, from skinny stoned ravers to shirtless & pantiless women, until finally he saw her bright green eyes shine as the strobelights reflected off of her eyes. Her tanned skin was more noticeable as it contrasted with the rest of the pale & cool colored Iceberg Lounge.

Dick approached Kori, but before he tapped her shoulder, he stepped back to get a better look of what she was doing. Kori was slowly swaying her hips around to a beat entirely unsynced with the music playing. Kori swung her hands up into the air, completely immersing herself in her own beat.

Dick noticed a dude with a man bun & a tank-top approach Kori & began to dance with her. He began to rub his crotch all over Kori’s thighs. Kori glanced at him, but continued to dance in her own beat.

Dick clenched his fists. He approached the man & spun him around to face Dick. “Get lost, dude.”

Man-Bun scoffed. “Who the fuck are you?”

“Dick!” Kori called. She shoved past Man-Bun & hugged him. Dick wrapped one arm around Kori’s waist & swung one arm up, flipping his middle finger off to the man.

The man threw his arms up in frustration & turned around, disappearing into the shifting dancing crowd. Dick stepped back to look at Kori. “What were you just doing?” he asked.

Kori stared at Dick. “What do you mean?”

Dick shook his head, laughing softly. He nodded towards a nearby girl. “You see her?” he asked Kori. “Watch her movements.”

The two watched as the girl shook her hips from side to side in a rapid tempo, moving according to the music’s upbeat rhythm. She pulled a nearby man close to her & threw her back against him. She took his arms & wrapped his arms around her waist, & the two of them swayed to the beat together, in synchronized formation. 

“Do you notice the pattern?” Dick asked.

Kori stared at the couple, then looked up at Dick with her bright green eyes. “I do not understand.”

Dick bit his lip, smiling. He grabbed Kori’s hands & squeezed them. “You said you’re not bothered by the music anymore, right?” Kori nodded in agreement. “Okay, listen to beat carefully. Listen to the rhythm. The beat within the music. Listen for the kick in the drums. Listen to the beat carefully & feel the beat.”

Kori shut her eyes, listening to the beat carefully. She moved her body softly, making small movements with her hips & neck. “I think I am getting this,” she said, “but I am not sure.”

Dick nodded. “Okay, here.” Dick took her hands & placed one on his chest. “Can you feel it?” he asked.

Kori opened her eyes & raised an eyebrow. “I feel your heartbeat,” she said. “It is beating at a very fast pace, Dick,” she pointed out. “Are you feeling alright?” she asked.

Dick removed her hand from his chest, feeling a slight blush. He shook his head. “It’s just the adrenaline, I guess. It’s nothing.” Dick took Kori’s hands & placed it on her own chest. “Can you feel YOUR heartbeat?”

Kori grasped Dick’s hand & shut her eyes again, focusing on her own heartbeat. “My heartbeat is slow & steady,” she said. “But I feel it slowly increasing.”

Dick nodded. “Alright. Move along to the beat of your heart. That’s the beat that you’ll never mess up.”

Kori nodded with a soft smile. She began to sway her hips again in a slow pace, but Dick noticed she was beginning to slowly match the pace of the beat of the music. She had unconsciously reverted to the rhythm of the song. Dick smiled & began to dance with her.

Kori wrapped her arms around Dick’s neck & continued to shake her hips, rubbing up close to Dick. He couldn’t help but compare her to a belly dancer he used to work with at the circus when he was younger. He had always gotten nervous around the belly dancer. She scared him in a certain way. He was sort of intimidated by her, but also somewhat aroused by her. Dick suddenly felt the same way now, dancing with Kori.

The two danced for a while, dancing & vibing to the DJ’s electronic music mix. Dick tried to recognize some of the artists that the DJ played, but he couldn’t pick any of the vocalists out. Besides, Dick was somewhat distracted by Kori & how she managed to look so calm & full of energy, but still look so sweaty without being worn out.

Kori swung her head back & breathed heavily. Her chest rose high & low as she gripped the back of Dick’s neck tight. He held onto her lower back to keep her from falling. Suddenly, Kori brought her head back, close to Dick’s. Her forehead touched his, & their faces were inches away from each other. Kori’s eyes were shut, but she wore a wide smile. “Dick,” she breathed.

Dick felt his heart beat fast. He didn’t know what to do. He stiffened nervously & pulled his head back a few more inches. “Yeah?”

Kori opened her eyes & tilted her head to the side. She stroked his cheek with one hand, then brought it up to tousle her hair. “Oh, I was just reminiscing, Dick. I enjoy this place very much. It reminds me of a place back on my home planet that I used to visit late in the day. My older sister, Komand’r, would take me to a place similar to this & we would dance to the performances they provided as well. The only difference, I think, is the general tone of the music. Ours is much more calmer & soothing. Yours appears to be very loud & aggressive.”

Dick laughed. “That’s big-room house for you,” he joked.

Suddenly, over all of the noise & the chatter & the loud music, a scream was heard. Dick quickly turned to the direction in which the sound came from. He turned back to Kori. “Kori, get back to Rachel & help her find everyone else.”

Suddenly there was another scream, followed by two gunshots. The music was quicky cut off. Dick & Kori both turned to the direction where the shots came from. People began to run around frantically. Dick turned back to Kori. “Go!” he called.

Kori nodded & ran through the crowd, towards where Rachel was. Dick shoved through the crowd, shouting for everyone to leave & find a nearby exit. He saw a young woman being trampled on by people panicking & running right over her.

Dick reached down & grabbed the woman’s arm & slid her closer to him, away from the path of the frightened people. Dick hoisted the woman up & looked at her. She had blood oozing from cuts & bruises all over her body. She could hardly hold her head up.

Dick stopped a nearby man who was largely built. “Hey, man!” Dick called. The man glanced towards Dick, & nearly slipped when he saw the injured woman. “Oh my god,” he called as he ran towards them.

Dick moved towards the man. “She needs medical attention. Get her outside, okay?”

The man nodded. He took the woman from Dick’s grasp & lifted her up over his shoulder. Dick began to run towards the gunshots when the man called out for Dick. “Wait, where are you going?”

Dick turned back to the man. “Go!” Dick cried. The man shook his head & turned towards the nearest exit.

Dick sighed & began making his way towards the gunshots. They came from the entrance of the Iceberg Lounge. Dick managed to make his way easily, as the club had cleared out fast. Dick felt his chest tighten as he saw dead people across the club floor. There was one man who was bleeding out from his gut. He kept his hand on his wound, but the blood kept coming. He was hardly able to keep his eyes open, but Dick could see his chest heaving. Suddenly, the man was shot in the head.

Dick cried out as blood splattered across Dick’s face. He turned to find where the shot had come from, & noticed the man with the gun up above on a catwalk across the upper level of the Iceberg Lounge.

Suddenly, down on the dancefloor, another armed man approached Dick. He held the gun up to Dick, attempting to frighten him. Dick clenched his fists tight in preparation for a battle.

“Hey, man,” called out a familiar voice. Dick felt his heart skip a beat. He knew that voice.

Dick turned to look at Nolan Drake. “You son of a bitch,” Dick growled.

Nolan Drake smiled with his arms crossed across his chest. He stood up above Dick on top of the stairs, looking down at Dick. Behind him came a five more men with weapons.  Nolan glanced back at the men & made a gesture with his hands. The men lowered their weapons & began to survey the perimeter of the building. Nolan began to walk down the steps towards Dick. “I didn’t expect to catch you here tonight at this fine establishment, my brother. How do you like it?”

Dick stared back at Nolan, readily posed to engage in combat. Nolan continued to speak as he walked towards Dick. “I really only meant to come here to play with other people, not you. I honestly didn’t know you’d be here. Why ARE you here, Dick? You DO know that I own this club, don’t you?”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “No, you don’t,” Dick challenged.

Nolan shrugged. “Okay, no. Oswald Cobblepot does. But we’re business partners, man. What’s his is mine, & what’s mine is his. We’re like family. We’re like a married couple, actually. He’s the sugar daddy, & I’m the trophy wife.”

Dick blinked in confusion. He shook his head, ignoring the strange analogy. “Drake, you & Cobblepot are far from partners. There’s friction in your work with him. I know it.”

Nolan Drake laughed a maniacal laugh. “Of COURSE there is, Dick! But that’s what married couples have! Friction!” Nolan sighed, then ran a hand through his hair. “But it’s fine. There’s been some issues, lately. He couldn’t get his hands on my order from Cadmus the other night, so naturally, I was unhappy with the son of a bitch. I stole something else. Of course, I do need to test it, you know. But I’ve come to the conclusion that testing it on the public during the day in public may not be the smartest solution. So instead, I was gonna test it here, in the private business of Oswald Cobblepot. It was meant to be a lesson to be taught to him & his men. But you’ll do just fine, Dick Grayson.”

Suddenly, four canisters were tossed at Dick from all different directions. Each one began to release a green gas substance into the air. Dick lifted the collar of his shirt up to cover his nose & mouth, but the gas still managed to get to Dick. He began to cough enough to the point where it felt as though he was hacking up a lung.

“This is something special,” Drake started. “This is something new. I realized, Dick, that I was going all about this the wrong way. If I really wanted to make a statement to the scum of the city, I couldn’t just blow them up. That would just mean I’m like every other piece of shit in Gotham. I’m not making a real change.  I need to really make the city SEE their hell. I need to really SCARED them, Dick. Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order, & everything becomes chaos, right?” Drake bent down & grasped one of the canisters. He shook the canister to emphasize its importance. “This is going to save Gotham City, Dick.”

Dick slowly removed the collar from his face & exhaled, coughing up the gas filling up the night club. Dick felt somewhat light headed, but there wasn’t much of a difference in how he felt. He stood up straight & clenched his fists tight once more. “I’m going to kill you, Nolan.”

Nolan tossed the canister to the side. “Oh, isn’t that sweet?” Nolan approached Dick with his fists held up to his face. “Come at me, Dick. Mano a mano, right? Just like in the Underground. No weapons, just you & me. We’ll keep it intimate.”

Dick didn’t hesitate. He lunged at Nolan in two quick strides & slide underneath Nolan’s legs. Dick swung back around as he appeared behind Nolan & swung his leg up, connecting his foot to the side of Nolan’s head.

Nolan cried out in pain as he fell onto the ground. He quickly stood back up, however, & turned around fast enough to counter Dick’s next hammer kick. Nolan blocked the kick with his forearm & shot his fist outward into Dick’s chest. Dick stumbled back, but quickly charged back to Nolan. He burrowed his head into Nolan’s abdominal area & hoisted Nolan up into the air & dropped Nolan back, slamming his back onto the ground.

Dick & Nolan were on the ground for a brief moment. As Dick laid still for a moment, he heard gunshots being fired again. He heard Kori & Rachel calling out to each other up above. Dick sat up on his elbow to see Victor two armed men in close quarters. Victor was winning. On the opposite side of the club was Conner, fighting with another group of men. Conner was managing on his own alright, but Dick couldn’t help but notice Conner holding back. Dick turned to the DJ’s stage, where he saw Logan fighting with one man. Logan was moving in an inhumanly fast speed. Logan clawed & scratched & howled at the man, as though Logan was suddenly an animal.

Dick heard Drake stir beside him. Dick quickly crawled up onto his feet. As Nolan struggled to climb up onto his feet, Dick swung a leg up into Drake’s face. Dick hear a crack somewhere in Nolan’s skull.

Nolan doubled back, but quickly straightened again. But Nolan Drake’s face was dripping with blood. His skin had been peeled from his eyebrows to the lower part of his right cheek, revealing pure bone. Dick gasped, startled, & stepped back at the sight of the gruesome wound.

Nolan smiled. He reached for his face with one hand & softly massaged his exposed bone. He then suddenly ripped off the rest of his flesh, tearing off more skin & revealing more of his pale white skull. Suddenly, Nolan’s entire face was a bleeding skull.

Dick blinked several times, confused & frightened. Dick wiped his eyes with his hands, smearing blood over his own face.

Nolan began to step towards Dick when a purple plasma blast was shot at Nolan, throwing him to the ground. Nolan groaned & looked up. “Hey, it’s that bitch Raven!”

Dick looked up at Rachel, whose cloak flapped as she flew up in the air, shooting plasma blasts at other men with weapons up in the catwalk. Dick glanced back at Nolan, who was already up on his feet & approaching Dick fast. “I thought I had her taken care back in Chinatown,” Nolan spat.

Dick stared at the ghoulish fiend. “You...YOU sent Constantine that night.”

Nolan nodded, reaching for Dick with his right hand. Nolan grasped Dick’s neck & began to choke him. Nolan lifted Dick up with his single hand. “I had been watching you, Grayson. Ever since you went topside. I’ve had my boys scavenge the city, looking for you & spying on you. When we overheard your desire to find Cheyenne Freemont, I decided to take action. I went to see my trusted dark arts doyenne, Zatanna Zatarra. I asked her to help me find someone who could take out someone with...abilities. She sent me John Constantine.”

Dick’s face twitched with rage. He felt his chest burn with a burning fire. His soul was crumbling into ash. He was in total despair. Nolan Drake killed Cheyenne Freemont. Just to spite Dick.

“Have I crushed your spirit, Dick?” Nolan teased.

Dick cried out in fury & raised his fist up into the air & brought it down into Nolan’s face, punching in straight in the forehead.

Nolan dropped Dick & clutched onto his forehead.  Dick stood up & began to make his way towards Nolan, but struggled as he was beginning to have trouble breathing. Dick raised a fist & tried to swing at Nolan, but Nolan countered his attack but gripping Dick’s fist & twisting his arm back. Dick fell onto one knee, struggling to keep his arm angled in a non-lethal position. Dick tried to punch Nolan with his other fist, but Nolan grabbed that fist as well, holding Dick in place. Nolan leaned towards Dick, & suddenly small maggots began to squirm out of Nolan’s mouth, nose & eyes.

“Ahh!” Dick cried out in pure fear. Nolan’s sickening jaw crooked itself into a smile. Nolan raised his head back & slammed it against Dick’s head, knocking Dick out briefly.

Dick laid back against the ground, attempting to crawl away from Nolan. He scanned the Lounge & saw Conner across the club backed into a corner, where two men were beating on him. Conner was screaming in fear.

Dick turned to see Logan pinned to the ground by another man. Logan was shielding his face, avoiding sight of the man. Dick saw Victor fighting one armed man, but also getting distracted by something else entirely. He appeared to be fighting an invisible entity.

Dick glanced up & saw Kori crying out as she swatted at something in the air. Dick was unable to see what it was that she was swatting at. Dick saw Rachel, calling out “Starfire!” to Kori, but was unable to reach her as she was flying across the ceiling, away from SOMETHING. Dick wasn’t sure what it was that she was flying from.

Dick glanced back to Nolan, who was suddenly standing over Dick, pointing a gun at him. “I enjoyed our time together,” Drake said, gripping the gun with his other hand, holding the gun with both hands now. Dick heard the barrel cocking sound. Before Nolan was able to pull the trigger, a police siren sounded.

“Shit,” Nolan spat. “Fucking shit, god dammit.” Suddenly, Nolan Drake’s skull had bursted into a bright red flame. Nolan screamed out in rage. Nolan holstered his gun into the waistband of his pants & ran towards the back exit of the night club. The rest of his armed men followed suit.

Dick exhaled. He laid his head down against the floor, attempting to catch his last bit of breath. Dick couldn’t fathom what he had just witness. Nolan Drake...decomposing. Was this the threat that came with the spell that Rachel had warned Dick about? Was Nolan just a form that a supernatural demon had used to frighten Dick? Or...was Nolan Drake harnessing a supernatural force & using it to fight Dick?

Dick shook his head. He didn’t have time to think, as the policemen were already stomping their way towards the front door of the Iceberg Lounge. Dick struggled to stand up, & then called out to everyone he had brought with him. “Come on!”


	33. Extraterrestrial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick attempts to comfort Kori.  
> Contains sexual content.

Dick stood underneath the shower head & let the warm water run down over his neck & back. He had hoped that the warmth of the water would relax his tense muscles & maybe even heal some of his cuts & bruises from the Iceberg Lounge. He needed something to help him relax. He needed to relax. The night was over. It was all over for the night. Dick was fine. Everyone was fine. Right?

Dick shook his head. He wasn’t fine. He had no idea what he was. Nolan Drake turned into a monster. Granted, he had always been a monster, but...he had literally become a monster. 

He had fled from the police when they arrived to the nightclub, & Dick gathered the gang to escape from the night club. They exited through the back of the building & circled the block, attempting to sneak their way back to their car. Dick spotted Jim Gordon at the scene. Dick wanted to approach him & tell him that Nolan Drake was there, but hesitated. He couldn’t just leave Rachel & Kori & all of them. He needed to stay with them.

As they managed to get back into their Jeep & drive back to Wayne Manor, no one spoke a word. Dick had asked if everyone was fine occasionally. He asked Victor to try & stop by a burger place to pick something up in a drive-thru. Victor said he wasn’t hungry. Dick turned back to ask the rest if they were hungry. Even Logan shook his head.

When they arrived to the mansion, Dick offered to make everyone dinner. Everyone shrugged it off & went to their rooms to rest. Dick sighed in disappointment & went into the kitchen anyway. Victor followed behind him. He stood next to Dick as he rummaged through the fridge, looking for something to put in his stomach. Dick found nothing & moved to the pantry, where he found a jar of nutella. Dick grabbed the jar & went to the drawers for a spoon. He sat down on a stool beside the island & began eating spoonfuls of nutella. He turned to Victor. “So…” Dick started. “I need to apologize.”

Victor shook his head. He leaned against the island counter with his forearms. “No, man. You were trying to give us a good time, man. There ain’t nothing wrong with that.”

Dick stuck the spoon into his mouth & licked the nutella off of the metal. He shook his head. “Not if it means putting your lives out in danger.”

Victor scoffed. “Dick, we’re always in danger. Each & every one of us are prone to rape & murder in this damn town. The only difference is that we can actually defend ourselves.”

Dick bit his lip. “Not from whatever the hell we saw tonight.”

Victor stared at Dick as he bit into his nutella. “Dick,” Victor started, “what DID you see…?”

Dick looked up at Victor. “What did YOU see…?”

Victor waved Dick off. “Brother, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Dick shrugged. “Try me.”

Victor looked at Dick, trying to find any trace of sarcasm in his voice. When Victor decided that Dick was genuinely concerned, he sighed, ready to speak. “I saw me trying to kill me.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Wait, one more time, what?”

Victor grunted. “Aight, like, okay. It was LIKE me. Like another robot, or cyborg, or whatever. But it wasn’t me. I knew it was another person. I thought I recognized the guy, but I wasn’t sure. But there was another cyborg trying to kill me.”

Dick nodded slowly. “A cyborg…”

“Yeah, told you you wouldn’t believe me.”

Dick shook his head, waving the spoon of nutella up in the air. “No, it’s not that. I just expected...something else.”

“Like what?”

Dick shrugged. “I don’t know...I saw Nolan Drake’s skin being ripped off of his face & his skull oozing with worms & burst into flames.”

Victor blinked. “What the fuck?”

Dick shrugged. “I don’t know. But I think it had something to do with the spell that Rachel cast on you & Logan, bringing dark spirits or demons or whatever to haunt us.”

Victor nodded slowly. “That...surprisingly kind of makes sense.”

“Right. And I can’t sit here & not take responsibility after I told Rachel to do the spell, after already knowing what the consequences were. I should have not done it.”

Victor sighed. “You were just trying to give us a good time, man. I get that. Stop blaming yourself.”

Dick shook his head slowly. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for what had happened. “Victor...I’m sorry. Just know that I’m really sorry.”

Victor went around the island & patted Dick on the back. “You carry the weight of the world on your shoulder, kid. You gotta stop doing that.” With that, Victor had left Dick alone to finish his jar of nutella.

Dick now stood in the shower, going over that brief discussion in his head. He carried the weight of the world on his shoulder. Well, that wasn’t true...was it? He was only carrying the duty he had to his city & those that he had to protect. He was only doing what was necessary. Right?

Dick shook his head. He needed to stop thinking & just sleep.

Dick shut the shower faucet off & stepped out of the shower, wrapping a dry bath towel around his waist. He grabbed a smaller head towel & dried his hair off with it, then left it hanging around his neck & shoulders. He proceeded to brush his teeth & when he was done, he stepped out of the bathroom. When he got out, however, he was startled.

“Whoa!” he cried as he saw Kori sitting on the edge of his bed, wearing her loose pink t-shirt & shorts.

Kori looked up at Dick & smiled. “Oh, hello, Dick,” she said innocently. “I apologize for the inconvenience. You were in there when I arrived, so I decided to wait here.”

Dick stared at Kori, completely dumbfounded. “Um...okay.” He glanced around the room, then down at himself, then back at Kori. “Well...I’m wet & naked.”

Kori looked down at Dick & raised an eyebrow. “No, I do not believe you are naked.”

Dick bit his lip. “Right. Um...do you mind if I put on some pants at least?”

Kori shook her head & smiled. “I do not mind,” she said simply.

Dick raised an eyebrow as Kori continued to stare at Dick. Dick glanced at his shorts & underwear, which was on the bed beside Kori. Dick slowly approached the clothes on the bed & stepped back. He dropped his hand to the knot that he had done with his towel, unsure of whether to proceed or not.

Kori noticed Dick’s sudden halt must have triggered something in Kori’s awareness. She gasped. “Oh, Dick! You do not wish for me to see your genitalia!”

Dick let out a surprised grunt, flabbergasted of how blunt Kori was. “Yeah, no, it’d be great if you could turn away just for a second.”

Kori nodded & turned around on the corner of the bed, facing the opposite direction. “Okay,” she said softly.

Dick quickly dropped his towel & slid his underwear on, then his shorts. He bent down to pick up his bath towel. “Alright, I’m decent,” he said as he went to the bathroom to hang up the towel. He carried his head towel around his neck, bringing one end of it back up to his hair, scrubbing it. Kori turned around. “So,” Dick started, “are you alright?”

Kori stayed silent for a minute. Dick got underneath his covers, waiting for Kori. She looked nervous. Kori was glancing down at her fingers, twiddling them around. Even aliens had human-like mannerisms. Kori looked up at Dick. “I can not sleep.”

Dick nodded softly. “Okay,” he said. “Bad dream?”

Kori shook her head. “Dick, I believe I had a nightmare.”

Dick nodded. He glanced at his phone charging on his nightstand. The time was 12:54 AM. He didn’t realize how late it already was by the time he got up to shower. Everyone must have already been asleep...or at least was trying to.

“Was it about tonight?” Dick asked.

Kori shook her head. “No...well, yes. No, I am not sure, actually.” Kori glanced down at her fingers again. “It was about my older sister.”

“Oh, right,” Dick said. “Com...something.”

Kori laughed softly. “Komand’r,” she corrected. “It was strange. I love my sister. In fact, I idolized her. But I was crowned as royalty before my sister. I do believe this caused a bit of tension in our relationship.”

Dick nodded. “So you think she resents you?”

Kori shook her head. “I do not know. I hope not. I love her. I cannot stand to have her hate me.”

“But you think she does.”

Kori nodded slowly. “She appeared to me tonight. When we were at the Iceberg Lounge, she appeared to me. Of course, I knew it was not her, because moments before she appeared, I had been fighting with a man. But the man turned into Komand’r, &...she was angry. She began to attack me mercilessly. I was in complete fear for my life. I truly felt like I was in danger. None of the men with weapons frightened me, but...when I saw Komand’r then...all of my worst fears had come true. I have never felt that scared before. And now...she is appearing when I close my eyes. I see her squeezing my throat tight, breaking my neck. I see her gouging my eyes out of their sockets, & I see her burning me, &...”

Kori’s voice began to falter. She had slowly began heaving as she spoke. She was quietly sobbing. Small tears dripped down her tan cheeks. Her bright green eyes were now watery. Dick sat up beside Kori & wrapped one arm around her shoulder & pulled her close to him. Dick shushed her softly, stroking her hair. “It’s okay, Kori. Everything is okay. She’s not real. None of that was real. Your sister doesn’t hate you, Kori. Nobody hates you. You’re alright. Everything is alright.”

Kori’s sobbing began to calm has her cries became soft hums. “Dick,” she breathed, “do you think she will continue to haunt me?”

Dick shook his head. “No,” he said. “She can’t. This will only probably last until the spell Rachel cast on Logan & Victor wears off.”

Kori looked up at Dick. She shook her head. “I told Rachel about this when she was getting undressed for bed. I told her about seeing Komand’r & asked if it was of a supernatural essence. She said no, because she would have felt it.”

Dick stared down at Kori. “It...wasn’t...demons...or whatever?”

Kori shook her head. “According to Rachel, no. This was something of an entirely different essence. Not supernatural.”

Dick nodded slowly. He now had no idea what to think of everything that had happened that night. If it wasn’t monsters coming to haunt them...then what the hell could cause them to see things that they saw? Dick shuddered at the frightening thought of anything else on earth able to create such a horrific phenomena.

Kori began to twiddle her thumbs again. “Dick...I am sorry to ask you this...it is quite embarrassing, but...do you mind if I sleep here tonight?”

Dick’s eyes widened in surprise by this question. “What?”

Kori shook her head. “I am sorry. I should not have asked. I should be back in Rachel’s room, sleeping there. But I just cannot bring myself to sleep peacefully. I feel as though I would be better off sleeping with a sense of comfort.”

Dick’s mouth was slightly ajar. He was speechless. Dick couldn’t find the right words to respond with. He wasn’t sure what to do at this point. But for some reason, the words “okay” came out of his mouth.

Kori smiled softly & she crawled to the other side of the bed & slid underneath the covers, beside Dick. Dick scratched his head, unsure of how to proceed. Dick sighed, deciding that he was incredibly tired, & didn’t have the energy to question anything. He reached for the knob of the lamp on his nightstand & switched the lamp off, submerging the two in darkness.

Dick already felt nervous in the night, both because of Kori laying beside him, & by whatever fears he would be haunted by. Dick laid on his side & tried to focus on a bright spot that the moonlight shined upon through the bedroom window. He tried to focus on the light, & only the light, but he still felt the anxiety of a sudden shadow shift in the corner of his eye. He would dart his eyes over to see what he had seen, but saw nothing. Panic began to take over. Dick was no longer in control. He was vulnerable in the darkness.

Dick rolled onto his back & looked up at the ceiling. He glanced to his side, where he saw Kori doing the same. He smiled softly. “I never thought I’d be this afraid again,” he spoke softly.

Kori slowly turned back to Dick. “When was the last time you felt this frightened?” She asked.

Dick bit his lip to consider his answer. “Tonight was horrible,” he started. “Tonight was the most I had been afraid in a long time. Before tonight...I was fucking scared back in Chinatown, when I first met you & Rachel.”

Kori raised an eyebrow. “Rachel & I frightened you?”

Dick shook his head. “Well, no. Me meeting Cheyenne again scared me. So much. I was happy, but also really scared & nervous. But that all changed when Constantine showed up & ruined everything.”

Kori nodded. “Yes...Constantine,” she murmured.

Dick nodded softly. “That man you saw me with tonight...Nolan Drake...he told me he sent John Constantine after us that night.”

Kori rolled onto her side & faced Dick. “Nolan Drake sent John Constantine?”

Dick nodded. “He’s the reason everything happened. He’s the one who killed Cheyenne.”

Kori slowly nodded back. She struggled to find the right words to say next. “We...will make Nolan Drake pay.”

Dick smiled softly. “That’s my job, Kori. Just me.”

Kori’s lip trembled softly. “Yes, but...I want to help. I...I want to avenge her.”

Dick sighed. He reached for Kori’s hand & squeezed it in his. “You don’t have to, Kori. Nolan has taken a lot from a lot of people, but he’s only been doing this because I let him loose. He’s my responsibility.”

Kori stared back into Dick’s eyes. She slowly nodded in response, but almost in a trance. It didn’t seem like she had paid attention to what Dick had just said. Dick had also lost track of what he was going to say.

Dick stared back into Kori’s green eyes. He could see them perfectly, even in the dark. The moonlight from the window behind her traced the outline of her body, causing her to appear as a curvy silhouette. Dick couldn’t help but notice her perfect feminine physique. He slid closer to Kori as she hummed softly to herself.

Dick felt Kori’s soft breath against his. She began to bring her head closer to his & rested her forehead against his forehead. Dick slid his hands over Kori’s hips & brought them closer to his. Kori slowly wrapped her leg around Dick’s thigh. Suddenly, the two had removed all excess space in between their bodies. Dick’s heart was beating fast in his chest as Kori brought a soft hand up to Dick’s cheek.

Suddenly, the two moved in & connected their lips with each other. The moment was so fast that Dick couldn’t tell who had made the first move, but Dick didn’t care. He kissed her lips back passionately, & felt her lips pressed harder against his with each quick second. Dick could feel Kori’s chest pressing against Dick’s, & suddenly he felt her heartbeat beating against his chest. He felt their heartbeats synchronized.

Kori, still kissing Dick’s lips, rolled on top of Dick, & kissed him from above. Her bright red hair hung over her head in the moonlight. Suddenly, in an instant, Kori pulled back from Dick, & swung her hair back behind her head. Her motion was so smooth & sensual. Dick gasp softly as he felt his erection press against Kori. Dick heard Kori shriek softly to herself as she felt his cock. Kori moaned softly, & began to roll her hips as she sat on Dick’s crotch. Dick let out a shaky breath as his cock got harder, & wrapped his arms around Kori’s waist. He pulled her upper body back down towards his face & kissed her hard, shoving his tongue down her mouth. Dick could feel her tongue back, & with his hands, continued to motion her hips over his crotch.

Suddenly, Kori’s hands were rubbing up over Dick’s chest. Dick traced his hands over Kori’s arms, down to her hands, & just as he did so, she grasped Dick’s hands & brought them up to her chest. Dick exhaled as she let him fondle her breasts, & smiled softly as Kori slowly removed her t-shirt, exposing her tan chest. Dick was glad to see how human Kori looked.

Dick brought his upper body up to Kori’s & began to kiss her chest, then slowly moved his kisses up to her neck, where he continued to kiss hard around her lower jaw. Kori breathed out soft moans, & with one of her free hands, began to remove her shorts that she had been wearing. Kori quickly pushed Dick back, laying him flat on the bed. Kori traced her hands down Dick’s abs, towards his lower abdomen, & finally found his waistband. Kori quickly yanked his shorts & underwear down, where his cock shot straight up, highly erect.

Kori crawled over Dick, letting the wet tip of his cock throb & trace her skin. Once she had reached the cock with her thighs, she lowered herself onto Dick. She let out a soft gasp as she felt his cock deep inside of her. Dick groaned softly too, as he felt her pussy tighten around his cock.

Adrenaline & sudden passion took over. Dick suddenly brought Kori’s upper body to his, feeling her soft breasts against his chest & kissing her full lips passionately. As he kissed her, he wrapped his hands over Kori’s ass & began to thrust his hips up & down into her, fucking her rapidly. Dick used his hands to bring her ass down onto Dick’s cock while thrusting his crotch up into her, all while biting Kori’s lips.

Kori’s soft moans began to turn into muffled screams as he pounded her harder & harder, hearing her ass clap against his body. Kori’s hands were pressed hard against Dick’s chest, almost clawing at him. Suddenly, Dick gripped her lower body tight, & threw Kori onto her back. He then flipped her body around & brought Kori’s hips towards him. Kori sat up on her knees & the palms of her hands. Dick shoved his cock deep inside of Kori once more & began to pound her hard again from behind. He gripped her ass cheeks hard as his cock shoved deeper & deeper inside of her. Kori arched her back & flipped her hair over her shoulders again, letting out more loud moans. Dick continued to fuck Kori, even after he began to feel her shiver & shake from an orgasm. He could feel his thighs wet from Kori’s bodily fluids dripping from her vagina. Dick didn’t question whether that was alright for an alien. He kept fucking her until he felt himself about to erupt, & then he finally let himself cum inside of her. Dick slowly removed his sticky, throbbing cock out from Kori’s tight pussy, & slowly rubbed her butt with one hand.

Dick exhaled, letting out a deep breath, & fell onto his back, completely exhausted. Kori slowly crawled back beside Dick & wrapped her arms around his waist & laid her head onto his chest. Dick could feel his own body sticky from sweat, but as he slowly rubbed his hand over Kori’s body, he noticed that her skin was still as smooth as ever.

Dick let out a shuddered breath, finally feeling relaxed. He looked down at Kori & smiled. “That...was amazing.”

Kori looked up at Dick & smiled back. “Yes, that was,” she said softly.

Dick rested his head & slowly shut his eyes. Suddenly, Kori’s voice whispered into his ear. “What do you call that?”

Dick opened his eyes & looked back down at Kori. “Call what?”

“What we just did,” Kori said softly.

“Oh,” Dick said. “Um…” Dick thought about it. He never thought he would have to explain it after he had done it. “Well, biologically, we just had sexual intercourse. It’s how we reproduce, you know? Some people just call it sex. Some call it fucking.”

Kori nodded softly. “We have this on our planet too. We consider this a way to determine the authoritative partner in a marriage, whether it be the husband or wife.”

Dick let out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Kori looked up. “You are the authoritative one,” she said softly with a bright smile.

A huge grin rose over Dick’s face. “Sweet,” he mumbled as his eyes slowly closed shut.

Kori nodded. She sighed in satisfaction beside Dick, then looked back up at him. “Do you also call this...making love?”

Dick’s eyes shot open. He looked back down at Kori, whose innocent bright green eyes stared back at Dick. “Uh,” Dick stammered. “Well, that’s...debatable, I guess. With sexual intercourse, it’s named from a strictly scientific standpoint. Sex & fucking are more casual terms. Making love...that’s...that’s implying that there’s actual, like…love between the two having sex. When you have sex, & you’re in love with the person you’re having sex with, then sure, it’s making love.”

Dick stared back at Kori, who nodded slowly. He waited for her response, & breathed softly when he saw her shift her head up, ready to fall asleep. Dick smiled. “We did not make love,” Kori suddenly breathed.

Dick swallowed hard, biting his lip. “No...no, we didn’t,” he replied softly.

“I felt love, Dick. Not for me, though. But for another woman.”

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. He looked down at Kori, who stared back with her big green eyes. “Barbara?” she asked Dick.

Dick nodded softly. Kori continued. “I could feel your passion in the ejactulated semen that you released in me. I felt a lot of emotion within that single climax. All of that emotion seemed to be generally about Barbara. I do believe some of it was my fault. My appearance is similar to hers, I think. I must have gotten you aroused in some way, making you think of her while having sex with me. In your heart, you were making love to her, but in reality, you were having sex with me.”

Dick stared at Kori. He tried to wrap his head around what she was saying. She could tell...that he was fantasizing about someone else through his cum? Even Dick didn’t realize he was fantasizing about Barbara.

Oh, god. He had cheated on Barbara.

Dick’s chest suddenly felt tight with anxiety again as he began to panic. He had cheated on Barbara with an alien. He fucked a really hot alien. Would he get some sort of alien STD? What if Dick somehow managed to spread a massive alien STD virus? Dick felt his heart beat fast in fear, & suddenly his relaxed composure had gone away.

Everything had come back. Barbara, & his duty to protect her from what had been going on. To protect her & everyone from Nolan Drake. Suddenly Nolan Drake’s fiery corpse appeared to Dick, causing him to gasp in fear. He felt as though he was out of breath.

Suddenly Dick felt Kori’s hand over Dick’s bare chest. He felt something shifting within his chest. He...he felt his heart rate slow down. He was beginning to maintain a calmer breathing pattern. Dick felt better. So much...better…

Then everything went black.


	34. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick makes a disturbing revelation at Wayne Manor.

Dick sat in the large leather chair behind Bruce Wayne’s desk with his legs crossed on the top surface of the desk. He held his phone with one hand & a glass of whiskey in the other. He had stumbled upon the whiskey as he poked around the large office, which resembled more like a library than anything. He found several bottles of hard liquor behind the desk chair on several shelves. He chose a bottle of Irish whiskey & began to pour it into one of Bruce’s many glasses he had laid out by his drinks. Once he had sat down, he had a few sips of the drink, but after he had drank all of it, he went back to grab the whole bottle & kept it on the desk beside him. Dick looked through his phone & went through his contacts. He came across Roy’s name & felt the sudden urge to call him.

Dick pressed the call icon on Roy’s contact & waited for Roy to answer. After a few rings, Dick heard the staticy voice on the phone.

_ “Hello?”  _ Roy said.

Dick sniffed. “Hey, Roy. What are you up to?”

_ “Uh, well...not much. I’m at Olympus right now. Jim & I are just kind of relaxing at the moment. Why? What’s up?” _

“Nothing’s up. Nothing...really.”

Roy was quiet for a brief moment.  _ “Dick...did something happen?” _

Dick let out a soft laugh. “Dude, I really don’t know what happened to be fucking honest.”

Roy sighed.  _ “Oh god,” he mumbled. “What is this about?” _

Dick let out a deep shaky breath. “They left, Roy.”

_ “Wait, what?” _

“They left. Everyone. This morning, Raven got everyone to just pack some things & leave.”

_ “Raven? Who’s...oh, Rachel, never mind. But it’s only been a few days. Does she think Cadmus has stopped tracing them?” _

Dick shook his head. “No, man, it’s not about Cadmus. It was me.”

_ “What did YOU do?” _

Dick let out another unstable laugh. “That’s the fucking beauty of it, man. I really don’t fucking know.”

Roy kept silent for a few moments. He sighed. Dick could hear the frustration in his voice.  _ “Alright, start from the beginning.” _

Dick let out a deep breath. He didn’t know where he would start. Dick took another sip from the glass & spoke. “Okay. Last night, we went to a club. All of us. Rachel was sulking. Logan was being nervous, & Victor & Conner managed to blend in. Kori & I danced a little.”

_ “Wait, I’m confused.” _

Dick sighed.

_ “You guys went to a club?” _

“Yeah.”

_ “How? Logan is fucking green & Victor is a fucking robot.” _

“Rachel did a cloaking spell or something.”

_ “Oh. Okay...but who’s Conner?” _

Dick sighed. “We decided to call that one dude Conner. He was the shady guy who could fly & didn’t have any memories of anything.”

Roy was silent.  _ “Okay. Sure. Continue.” _

Dick rolled his eyes. “Yeah, so we went clubbing. Then Nolan Drake came in out of nowhere & decided to toss smoke bombs at us. He shot up the whole club, Roy. We fought him & his men, all of us, but...he turned into something disgusting. Like, it was crazy.”

_ “He turned into something disgusting?” _

Dick groaned. “I can’t even put it into words, he...he turned into a monster. His skin melted off of his head. His skull went up in flames. Maggots were dripping out of his fucking head. Shit like that.”

_ “Whoa,”  _ Roy murmured into the phone.  _ “That’s really scary, actually.” _

Dick nodded. “Yeah. I don’t know how it happened. I must’ve just lost a lot of blood at the time, or got knocked in the head hard. I don’t know. But eventually the cops showed up & everyone scattered.”

_ “Okay...so the club wasn’t it?” _

“I guess not. We came back to the mansion, & everyone was already drained & just really out of it. Nobody felt good. I went to the kitchen for a bit, & then suddenly I’m waking up in bed the next morning.”

_ “Wait,”  _ Roy interrupted.  _ “You...you just lost me.” _

Dick sighed. “That’s where I’m lost too. I’m missing a good few hours of my memory.”

Roy was silent on the other end for a brief moment. Dick had been working this puzzle out all day. Dick could tell Roy was at it too.

_ “From the kitchen...to your bed.” _

Dick continued. “When I woke up to check on everyone, I found Logan & Victor downstairs, like, waiting. I asked what for. They told me that Rachel told them that they all needed to leave Wayne Manor. Logan got in contact with one of his friends, Chris Freedom or someone. He was gonna crash with him for a few days. Victor was gonna take Conner with him to stay with a friend, Ron Evers.”

_ “Rachel made everyone decide it was time to leave?” _

Dick scoffed. “I guess. I ran up to Rachel’s room. She was with Kori in there, & Rachel were packing up random clothes. These weren’t even THEIR clothes. I think she was stealing some of Bruce’s girlfriend’s clothes or something.”

Roy let out a quiet laugh.  _ “Dick, Bruce Wayne can afford to buy his girl some more clothes.” _

Dick let out a deep, frustrated breath, & continued. “I ask Rachel why she was making everyone leave. I told her that I wasn’t sure if things were okay for them to be out on the streets, especially after the night of clubbing before failed. Rachel looked at me & slapped me. She told me I had no right to act as if I cared about any of them. Kori tried to calm Rachel, but Rachel was furious. She called me a liar, a pig, & some other shit. She left. Kori hugged me & told me she was sorry, but she had to do what she did for everyone’s sake. Then they all left.”

Dick sighed. He let Roy take his time to process what he had just told him.

_ “Uh,”  _ Roy started.  _ “Okay. Rachel...was mad about something you did. But Kori seemed to know what it was that you did too, but...you don’t remember.” _

“Right,” Dick said. He was unsure about where the conversation was headed.

_ “Kori didn’t tell you what happened because she thought she was helping you & everyone else, but...Rachel knew, somehow.” _

Dick shrugged. “It’s Rachel. She knows everything.”

_ “True,”  _ Roy said behind a laugh.  _ “But...I think if Kori thought not letting you know was the safest thing to do, then maybe you should trust her judgement.” _

Dick nodded softly. “I...I mean, I guess.” Dick stared at his glass of whiskey & took another sip. “I woke up with my bed wet.”

Roy was silent.  _ “Like...you pissed your bed?” _

Dick shook his head. “No...I don’t think so. It didn’t smell like piss.”

Roy was quiet again.  _ “Huh…”  _ he said outloud.  _ “Yeah...okay, I figured it out.” _

“What?”

_ “Dick, if you haven’t realized what has happened by now, then it’s definitely for the best.” _

Dick sighed. “I don’t even know, man.”

Roy paused.  _ “You’re slurring your words,”  _ he pointed out.  _ “Are you drunk, Dick? You sound drunk.” _

Dick let out a scoff. “Yeah. I found Bruce’s liquor collection. You should come by & we can have a real drink together.”

_ “Sure thing, man. Stay safe. Good luck.” _

As Dick heard Roy hang up on him, he groaned in frustration. Dick had hoped that he would feel better once he got his feelings off of his chest. He didn’t. In fact, he only felt more lost & alone. He was abandoned over a something that he still hadn’t managed to understand. He had Cadmus looming over his mind, & Nolan Drake presenting himself to be an even more imminent threat. He felt as though he had lost complete control of his life. Everything was going to shit.

Dick picked up his almost empty glass of whiskey & downed the remainder of the bitter liquor, then angrily chucked the glass across the study, shattering the glass cup into a billion tiny glass pieces. Dick felt the effects of the alcohol hitting him. He could see his vision tilt as he began to get dizzy, unable to stand straight. His head began to throb & his chest began to burn. Dick reached for the whole bottle of whiskey, only to find that he had emptied that as well.

Dick grunted & went to the shelves, where he surveyed the rest of the liquor. Dick came across a few bottles of wine, chardonnay, bourbon, scotch, & tequila. Dick sighed & grabbed the bourbon, popping the top off of the bottle & drinking it from the neck. Dick began to observe the rest of shelves, as they were each filled with books. Dick had never seen this many books before. Even the orphanage's library didn’t have as many books as Bruce Wayne did. Dick wondered if Bruce Wayne had ever even read any of these books.

One book stood out to Dick, however. Stuck in between a few poetry books by Edgar Allan Poe & several Christian novels was a book with no name labeled across its spine. This struck Dick as odd. He bit his lip in wonder. Why would Bruce have a book with no name placed here? Why did he organize this shelf the way he did? Poe & Chesterton? One spoke of death & one spoke of life. In an odd way, they related to each other only in the fact that they were completely opposite ends of the spectrum. However, the split between the two with a blank book…

“Dick, pick up the fucking book,” Dick spoke to himself outloud. He glanced to his side, actually startling himself. He thought someone else had spoken to him for second. Dick shook his nerves off & grabbed the blank titled book. However, when he pulled it off of the shelf, part of the book was stuck to the actual wood.

_ “Whoa,”  _ Dick thought to himself.  _ “You’re finally gonna see a hidden door in a mansion like in the movies.” _

Dick tugged on the book once more, but eventually the book fell down to Dick’s feet.

Dick stared down at the book in disappointment. “Man,” he mumbled to himself. He reached down & grabbed the book & inspected it. There was nothing on the cover or the back to indicate a title. Dick flipped through the pages, & found that they were blank. Eventually, as he flipped through, he found something stuck in between the pages. Dick reached inside & removed a small chrome clicker. The button was black.

Dick laid the empty fake book aside & inspected the clicker. It looked so...futuristic. He felt as though he would travel forward in time if he clicked it. Dick laughed at that absurdity, but his laughed quickly faltered as he remembered Victor the Cyborg & Raven the Demon. Dick sighed. He was suddenly frightened by the clicker, but for some impulsive reason, he clicked it anyway.

Suddenly, Dick heard a loud groaning noise. Dick, drunk & startled, threw the clicker at the wall & began to back away. He tripped on his own feet as he tried to walk backwards, then crawled the rest of the way across the office floor. He managed to get less than halfway when he noticed the back wall of the office study was...shifting.

Dick stared & watched in awe as the entire bookshelf split into two separate walls, revealing a dark & eerie hall. The walls groaned with such a ferocity, but also hummed as though it were an electromechanical being. Dick slowly stood up in fear, but approached the wall with hesitance.

Dick surveyed the walls & peered into the hall. He suddenly realized that the hall was not a hall but, in fact, an entrance to what seemed like a cavern. The carpet rug & wooden shelf walls had suddenly been transfigured into wet & moist stone & rock. Dick could hear water quietly drip from the ceiling. Dick’s heart began to pound. His palms were sweaty. His slight buzz was not helping him process this sudden surprise either.

Dick reached for his phone in his pocket & clicked on the flashlight app on his phone. He lit the path in front of him, taking note of the stalagmites sticking up from the stone ground & the stalactites sloping down from the ceiling. Dick began stepping through the cavern, stepping around the stones jagging out from all corners. He stepped carefully, avoiding slipping on the moist & slippery ground. He lit the path in front of him but saw no end in the pathway. Dick began to panic. Should he turn around?

Dick continued to make his way through the tunnel, following his gut instinct. He decided to let his curiosity discovery what he could under Wayne Manor.

As he stepped through the tunnel, he noticed the solid rock began to transform into a metal surface. The ground had shifted into from a cave into a man-made walkway platform. Dick wondered if it was financed by Wayne Enterprises. Bruce could’ve easily renovated an underground cave beneath his house to become something else. But what was it?

The tunnel led out to an opening. Dick found himself standing on a long catwalk, extending across a long distance from one end of the cave to another. Dick examined the catwalk, taking note of the light beams that were laid out across the edges of the metal surface. This was definitely a high tech design.

Dick noticed a sleek modern stairway leading down to a lower level. Dick turned & began going down those stairs, exploring more. As he went down the stairs, he looked to his right & saw that, inside of the stone wall, was a tunnel that traversed downward. It had a metal pole, similar to a firefighter’s pole, that seemed to reach all the way above the cavern, but the metal pole was not upright. It was tilted, as though it were leaning against the tunnel wall. It must have been broken.

Dick continued to travel down the stairs until he reached the bottom. He surveyed the lower level. He was now standing on what he could only describe as a giant helipad, only it was clear there was no helicopter within the cave. To his left was a large computer system that outstretched across the entire length of the cave’s wall. The computer screens reached all the way up towards the bottom of the catwalk. Dick walked towards the brightly lit computer screens, stunned by the fact that a computer system that seemed ahead of its time would be this functional underneath an entire mansion, inside of a cave. Dick needed to see how efficient the system was.

Dick made his way to the large black chair that was placed across from the computer system. Dick examined the seat & sat down on it. He positioned himself underneath the computer’s keyboard system & began to fiddle with the mouse. He looked up at the computer screen & saw that there was no need for him to access the computer using login information. Dick sighed in relief. Dick saw several tabs opened up on the light blue screen. One read “GCPD”. Dick clicked on it. It was a program that contained access to the Gotham City police department’s database. Dick saw several files on different criminals in the city. One file was listed as “Joe Chill”. Another one was listed as “Matches Malone”. There were others; “Roman Sionis”, “Carmine Falcone”, & “Alberto Falcone”, who Dick assumed was his son. “Edward Nygma” caught Dick’s attention. Was this the father of the Ed he met in that abandoned apartment? “Thomas Elliot” was another name listed in the archives. “Lonnie Machin” was also there. Not a lot of these names held much value to Dick.

Then he saw “Anthony Zucco”.

Chills went down Dick’s spine. The name itself was enough to make Dick’s blood run cold. It was something that reminded him of his sinful crime  & his dark past. Dick clicked on the file & examined the contents. There was photographs of Zucco’s body, laid across the ground lifeless. A pool of blood was seen as blood dripped from cuts & stab wounds all over his body. Dick gagged at the sight of his own murder. The ME reports indicated that the wounds were, in fact, from a knife. The crime report showed that the detectives had no lead, & had dropped the case. Nothing about Dick was in the file.

Dick sighed. He was glad to know that nobody was tracing his past back to him. But...why would Bruce Wayne have a secret mega computer that had access to police records?

Dick exited out of the GCPD tab of the software & began surveying other tabs.Dick saw several tabs for cities such as Metropolis, Central City, Blüdhaven, Coast City, Jump City, & Ivy Town. Aside from cities, there was a tab that read “FBI”. Dick scoffed. There was also “CIA” & “MI-6”.  Dick wondered what Bruce had to do with these federal agencies.

Dick noticed a tab listed as “Justice League Initiative”. He had never heard of the Justice League. It sounded like a made up organization. Dick clicked on it. He found only a few tabs. One was listed “Diana Prince”. Another was “Barry Allen”. Dick also saw “Hal Jordan”, “Arthur Curry”, “William Batson”, &...”Clark Kent”.

Clark’s name stuck out to Dick. Where had he heard that name before? The name was so familiar…

Dick clicked on the file listed as “Clark Kent”. The file opened up to several documents. A few were federal government documents listed as top secret. There was a few FBI documents, & several that were listed as documents kept by the United States Air Force unit in Area 51. Several documents came from newspaper articles from Smallville, Kansas, describing a UFO crash site. Some came from newspaper articles from Metropolis, that described a mysterious being caught seen flying across the city, performing heroic feats. There was even a photo of the man caught in action. It was listed under “Superman”.

Dick clicked on the photo to enlarge it. The man wore a blue body suit with a red S across his chest. He wore red boots, red gauntlets, & a red cape over his shoulders. His face was clear & his hair was dark & slicked back, except for a single curl that laid across his forehead. His jawline & chin were very defined. His face...his face itself rung a bell in Dick’s mind.

Then it came to him. It was Clark Kent, the newswriter from Metropolis that Dick met on his way out of Gotham City.

Dick sat back against the chair, shocked. He knew this man. He met him. He went into his home. He paid for Dick’s bus fare. This man...who the hell was he?

Dick began to investigate the files more. There was a document labeled “Bio”. Dick clicked on it & began to read it. It was written by Bruce Wayne himself. It was mainly just several notes on the traits of Superman. There was superhuman strength. He also had an abnormal invulnerability to most cellular destruction. His skin had solar-radiation absorption properties. The man could also fly, had superhuman speed & hearing. He had x-ray vision & heat vision. The man had traits of what Bruce had described as a “Kryptonian”.

“What the fuck is a Kryptonian?” Dick asked himself outloud.

Dick pulled his phone out of his pocket & began snapping photos of the computer screen, making sure to get the full details on Clark Kent, or Superman, or whoever he was. He needed to get answers at some point.

Once Dick got his information, he closed out of all of the tabs on the computer software & got out of his seat. He began to examine the rest of the contents of the large & immersive cave. Dick wandered towards the center of the large helipad, where he saw a long walkway that extended from one side of the helipad. It extended through a very deep tunnel of the cave, almost like a long runway. In the center of the helipad, however, was a large black vehicle. The vehicle resembled a tank with large monster truck sized wheels. As Dick approached the vehicle, he noticed the vehicle had bullet marks on it. Dick knew he had seen this vehicle before.

Suddenly, the vehicle began to hum with energy, as if it were a mechanical beast awakening from a nap. Dick looked up at the vehicle, & suddenly a female robotic voice emitted from it.  _ “Friendly identified: Richard Grayson”. _

Dick gasped softly to himself. This was the Batman’s vehicle.

“Oi!” Alfred’s voice echoed through the cave. Dick spun around, trying to pinpoint where the voice came from. Finally, Dick spotted Alfred on top of the catwalk, near the entrance from the tunnel leading to the study. Alfred began to make his way down the stairs. “What are you doing, Master Grayson?”

“What the fuck is this?” Dick cried. “What the fuck, Al? Is this what I think it is?” Dick pointed at the vehicle. “What the fuck, man!”

“Master Grayson, please calm down,” Alfred said softly, attempting to sooth Dick as he approached him.

“Don’t tell me to calm down, old man!” Dick growled. He took several steps back from Alfred. “Why the fuck does Bruce Wayne have a secret passage in his library? Why does he have a fucking supercomputer that has files from the GCPD & the FBI? And if you can’t answer any of that, then by all means, PLEASE tell me why the FUCK he has the fucking Batman’s car in a fucking cave underneath his fucking mansion!”

Alfred shook his head. “Richard, this is far more complex than you could ever understand.”

Alfred reached for Dick, but Dick swatted his hand away. “Don’t you fucking touch me, & don’t you fucking call me Richard. You don’t know me like that, & I certainly do not know you.”

Alfred’s soft old face suddenly grew stern & cold. Alfred reached for Dick once more, but Dick reacted in pure adrenaline & pushed Alfred back. Suddenly, Alfred shot a firm fist straight into Dick’s nose. Dick stumbled back, clutching his face. Alfred had swung a really strong punch.

“I don’t want to do this, Master Grayson, but you leave me no choice.”

Dick looked up at Alfred, who opened his hands, as if ready to grab Dick & tackle him. Dick spun around & made a run for it, making his speedy way around the large vehicle. Alfred managed to run the opposite direction around the car, & made another successful punch land on Dick’s eye.

Dick fell back to the ground. “Son of a bitch!”

Alfred grabbed Dick by the collar of his shirt & held him up. “I don’t want to restrain you, boy, but you’re proving yourself to be quite difficult to cooperate with!”

“And I don’t wanna hurt an old man, but fuck it!” Dick snarled & headbutted Alfred, knocking the butler off guard. Dick fell back, but managed to quickly stand upright, & ran back around the vehicle. As Alfred struggled to get back up, Dick managed to activate the vehicle’s sensor, opening the door. Dick slid inside of the vehicle & quickly slammed the door shut. Dick surveyed the familiar cockpit of the vehicle, & remembered that the car was auto piloted. “Get me out of here!”

The vehicle began to hum.  _ “Destination: out of here,”  _ the female AI voice spoke through the cockpit. The vehicle began to rumble. Dick turned to the cockpit’s holographic displays in front of the driver’s seat. Dick ran over to it & strapped himself in the driver seat & watched as vehicle slowly gained speed. It sped down the long runway. Dick held onto the armrests of the driver seat as the vehicle shook from increasing speak, as though it were an airplane taking off of a tarmac. He braced for the horrifying possibility of impact, as he was unsure whether or not there was even an exit at the end of the tunnel.

Dick tried to glance back behind him, but realized there was no visible view of the vehicle’s back. Dick had no idea what was behind him or if Alfred had managed to catch up to Dick. Sudden, Dick began to ask himself questions. Why the hell had Alfred try to attack him? How had he learned how to fight?

Suddenly, the truth that for a second was seemingly impossible...began to seem possible. The training that Bruce had offered...his advanced skill in combat. Bruce knew how to fight. Maybe he taught Alfred as well. Or did Alfred teach Bruce…? Maybe it was purely for self-defense. Maybe neither of them actually fought crime dressed as a bat.

Dick scoffed to himself. He was riding the Batmobile out of a cave underneath Wayne Manor. He couldn’t lie to himself any longer.

Suddenly, the vehicle jolted up, shifting in its trajectory. It had suddenly began speeding up a steep slope. Dick looked through the computer screens emitting the front of the vehicle. It suddenly showed an opening, as though Dick were getting closer & closer to a gate slowly opening. A gate that was opening...not fast enough.

Dick leaned back against his seat & shielded himself, bracing for impact against the edges of the gate. The vehicle jerked back, but continued to accelerate forward &, for a moment, felt as though it were up in the air. Suddenly, the vehicle met the ground again, causing another rough impact against the vehicle. Dick glanced out of the screen & saw a lake before him. The Batman’s car was driving across a lake.

Dick began to feel himself gasp & breath hard. He felt panicky. He was afraid that the car would suddenly fall underwater. Dick realized he never learned how to properly swim. He couldn’t even open his eyes underwater. He was as good as dead if the vehicle submerged into the lake.

But by some miracle, it didn’t. The vehicle carried Dick across the entire lake & into a road in some nearby woods. Dick relaxed as he felt rocky gravel underneath the wheels. He was on solid ground again.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Dick.

“Hey, uh...car. Where are you taking me?”

_ “I am directing you out of here,”  _ the AI announced.

“Uh...sure,” Dick responded. “But we’re out of the cave now. So where are we going NOW?”

The AI suddenly was silent.

“Can you answer that question?” Dick asked.

_ “Mr. Wayne knows where I am taking you,”  _ the AI spoke.  _ “If you wish to know where I am taking you, feel free to ask Mr. Wayne.” _

“Shit,” Dick grunted to himself. “He’s tracking us?”

_ “Mr. Wayne knows all whereabouts of this vehicle.” _

Dick sighed. “Okay...well, then, can you tell me why Bruce Wayne has this car?”

_ “For nightly affairs,”  _ the AI spoke.

“Son of a bitch,” Dick mumbled to himself.

_ “Are there any more questions?”  _ the AI asked.

Dick shook his head. “I just wanna get out of here whenever you can make the first stop out of town.”

_ “Where to, Mr. Grayson?” _

Dick shrugged. “Blüdhaven, I don’t care.”

The vehicle began to hum, driving Dick farther out of the woods & into the city.

Dick woke up to the sound of gunfire. He shot out of his seat & crouched back down on his knees, covering his head. For a second, he had forgotten that he was inside of an armored vehicle.

Dick glanced up on the computer screen, trying to catch sight of his attackers. A few thugs on the street with assault rifles were shooting at Dick. Dick rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Dick was about to open his mouth to command the AI, but the vehicle had already began to hum, preparing its cannon. Suddenly, Dick heard cries & more louder gunfire from outside of the vehicle. Dick glanced back at the computer screen. The men were dead.

Dick waited for the vehicle to continue its drive, but nothing happened. Dick raised an eyebrow, but eventually he heard the whirring sound emitting from the vehicle. A hissing sound was coming from the other end of the vehicle. It was damaged.

Dick clenched his fists & groaned. He stepped towards the door, which opened as Dick approached it, & exited the vehicle. He carefully stepped over the bleeding dead bodies underneath him & observed his surroundings. The vehicle was stuck in an alley, with a thick foggy air to cloud Dick’s further vision. He couldn’t see past halfway through the road across the street. Dick felt a strange shiver down his spine. He turned & glanced behind him, but saw nothing down the deep alleyway. Dick turned back to the street, where he saw the silhouette of a familiar being.

“No!” Dick cried out to the Batman. “Go away!” Dick turned back towards the dark alley & began running down it. He didn’t hesitate to bolt away from the Batman. He needed to leave town.

Dick leaped up onto a large dumpster & ran up the brick wall beside it, getting enough height to jump up into the air & grabbing onto a nearby fire escape. He swiftly climbed up the fire escape & ran across the clanky metal stairs, making his way up. He continued to run up, but suddenly came across a broken stair that did not reach the next floor. Dick turned behind him & saw a black hook latch onto the railing of the fire escape, with the Batman gliding up towards the railing.

Dick quickly turned towards the other side of the fire escape & leaped off of the railing, coming in contact with another nearby fire escape. He swung himself over the railing & crawled through an open window. He found himself inside of a small living room. An old man & woman sat on their couch watching TV. Dick stood there, unsure of how to proceed. After a few moments of them not noticing him, Dick darted behind the couch, out of the couple’s peripheral vision, & swung the door open. As he was about to step out, he caught sight of the Batman enter through the window. The old woman saw him & began to scream a weak scream. The old man howled out & reached for a nearby bat & tried to swing at the Batman. Batman grabbed the wooden object with ease & snapped it in half. He stepped around the old man & slowly made his way towards Dick.

Dick turned & ran down the apartment hallway & made his way to an emergency exit. Dick glanced at the door, then back down the hall, where the Batman was nearby. Dick turned back to the door & sighed, unsure of whether it would lead him up or down. Regardless, Dick needed to go.

Dick bolted through the door & began running up the stairs. He climb the stairs faster than he ever thought he would, making sure the Batman would not catch him. He suddenly realized he could have ran down instead. He looked over the stairwell to see where the Batman was. He was a few floors down, but held a grapple gun in his hand. He aimed it up in the air, attempting to shoot himself up high.

Dick cursed as the hook shot up & the Bat flew close over Dick’s head. Dick halted & ran through a door to his side. He found himself down another apartment hall. Dick ran down that hall & kept running. He noticed a window at the end of the window. Dick began to pick up speed, then bent his head into his chest & leaped out of the window, crashing through the sharp & jagged glass. Dick rolled out into the air, losing his sense of direction, but did not feel fear. He timed his glide, & stuck his legs out just as he felt himself sliding out onto the gravel of the next door building roof. He skidded down a few feet, but picked himself back up & continued to run.

Dick ran & ran until he reached the other end of the building, where he leaped across once more with such ease. He rolled onto the roof of the next door building & swiftly stood back up, shifting back into his run. He saw a group of a few people further down the roof. Maybe they could help him.

“Help!” Dick called out. “The Batman is trying to kill me!”

As Dick screamed & approached the group, he realized that they were not friendly Gothamites. They were thugs sorting out a drug deal. They were thugs that Dick had interrupted. They were also thugs that Dick had brought the Batman to.

“What’d that fucking kid say?” one of the thugs grunted.

“I think he said the Batman was trying to kill him,” another thug answered.

“The fucking Batman?” a third cried.

The fourth thug approached Dick & grabbed him by his collar. “Where is the Bat?” he growled.

“Behind us!” Dick croaked.

The thug turned Dick around & wrapped his large bicep around Dick’s neck, then placed a warm barrel against his temple. “Wherever you are, Bats, don’t come any closer!” he called out into the night. “I’m gonna shoot the kid!”

Dick’s chest began to heave heavily. He didn’t want to make a move against the thug holding him because the other lackies might’ve had their own weapons with them. He didn’t want to make a sudden move & give the thug a reason to want to shoot him. He’d have to stay put if he was going to have any chance of surviving.

Dick watched as the Batman ran fast & swiftly across the roofs, almost gliding across the urban landscape. Once the thugs were close enough to see the Batman, the Bat slowed his run down to an aggressive stomp.

The thug holding Dick aimed his gun at the Bat. “Stay back, you freak!” When the Batman continued to approach them, the thug cocked his gun. “I’m fucking warning you! I’ll shoot!”

The Batman gave a slight grin, almost taunting the poor thug. Dick slowly shook his head, attempting to warn the thug. The thug’s arm flexed as he pulled the trigger over & over again, shooting at the Bat. The bullets bounced & ricocheted off of the armored vigilante. Suddenly, a small blade flew from the Bat’s hip & passed right by Dick’s face, finally slicing through the thug’s forehead.

The thug fell lifelessly to the ground, sliding down Dick’s back. He felt a small warm splatter of blood against Dick’s face. He wiped it off & quickly ducked, as he sense other Batarangs would be tossed.

The other thugs each ran towards the Bat foolishly, each with their own melee weapon. One lunged at the Batman with a powerful punch, but the Bat dodged the punch & pushed the thug into the ground. The next man swung a crowbar at the Batman, quickly losing it as the Batman grabbed it in his own hands & brought it down on the thug’s back. The thug fell in front of the last thug, who tripped over the body. As he struggled to stand back up in front of the Batman, the Bat swung the back of his hand across the thug’s face, knocking him back down into the ground.

Dick stood & looked around, realizing that the Batman had single handedly taken out all of the thugs. Dick felt his heart race again. What the fuck was the Bat going to do to him?

No. Dick couldn’t be afraid anymore. He had no reason to be afraid anymore. He had to stop lying to himself. The Batman was just a man.

“I know it’s you, Bruce,” Dick called out into the night.

The Batman stood in his place, almost like a soldier awaiting a command. He could see the slight twitch in the arm & biceps, as though he were possibly a bit nervous. It could have also been the adrenaline still pumping through his blood & veins.

“I can explain,” the Batman spoke, but in a familiar voice rather than the low deepthroat voice he had become used to. It was Bruce.

Dick shook his head. “What the fuck, Bruce? What am I supposed to even say? How do I deal with this?”

“I’ll explain everything, Dick, but please, I need you to come back home with me.”

“NO!” Dick cried out, echoing through the dark night. “No, you DON’T get to tell me to go home with you. That fucking mansion isn’t home. Home isn’t where I’m lied to.”

The Batman shook his head. “You know,” he started in a low voice, “You’re pretty self-righteous for a kid who’s been lying to me ever since I took you in.”

“You KIDNAPPED me!” Dick howled. “You MADE me come with you, no questions asked! I had no say in the matter!” Dick began to approach the Bat. He reached down & grabbed one of the fallen thugs’ crowbar & swung it towards the Batman, who dodged Dick. “And don’t you DARE try to give me shit for my morals! YOU’RE NOT MY FATHER!”

Dick held the crowbar low between his legs. He heaved heavily as his chest & shoulders rose up & down with every deep breath he took. He was out of breath. He had really felt his entire rage & anger lash out at Bruce.

The Batman slowly reached for the crowbar, which Dick let go of with ease, & dropped it. “I’m not asking to be your father. I never asked to be your father. I never wanted to be your father, Richard. All I’m asking is that you let me explain everything to you.”

Dick stared at the Bat. The mask wasn’t emitting the bright light like it did the first time Dick met him. Dick noticed the human eyes underneath the mask. They were calm blue eyes. For some reason, this soothed Dick.

Dick sighed. “I need a drink too,” he said softly.

The Batman hung his head low, nodding in agreement.


	35. Broken Heroes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce explains everything to Dick.

Dick walked up to the doors leading to Bruce Wayne’s office...the entrance to the Batcave, as Bruce had called it.

He placed his hand over the doorknob, but hesitated opening it. Should he even bother going in? Should he even try to understand Bruce? The man had lied to Dick. From the second they met, he had lied to Dick. Nothing he had said was true. None of his motives were true. He had a dark & secretive side, & who knew what else Bruce was capable of. Him & Alfred posed as threats to Dick. There’s no way he could stay with them any longer.

But he couldn’t go anywhere. Not without taking down Nolan Drake. He needed help now that Rachel & everyone had left him. He needed Bruce. He needed the Batman.

Dick sighed. He opened the door slowly, immediately regretting it. “ _ You at least deserve some answers,”  _ Dick told himself. Regardless of his reasoning, he was still terrified to continue his way through the office. His palms grew sweaty, & he felt his heart beat irregularly. His head began to throb & his arms grew numb. The panicky feeling was coming more & more, growing worse each time. Dick genuinely began to fear for his life. Was he sick? Was he going to be okay? Was he going to die?

Dick shook his head softly. He needed to stop thinking stupid thoughts, & he needed to stop distracting himself, because Bruce was ready for him.

Dick slowly made his way towards Bruce, who was seated at a nearby armchair across from a fireplace. He held a glass of something in his right hand while his left hand hung loosely over the armrest of the chair. Another armchair was placed next to Bruce’s seat. In between the two seats was a small glass nightstand that held a bottle bourbon & an empty glass cup. Bruce looked up at Dick. “Take a seat. Have a drink,” Bruce said softly.

Dick bit his lip. He sighed softly & went to the chair to sit. He glanced at Bruce, who was still wearing the black Batsuit armor. Dick scoffed. “You couldn’t be bothered to take that suit off?” Dick asked.

Bruce shook his head & took a sip of his bourbon. “This is who I am, Dick,” he said in a low voice.

Dick rolled his eyes. “Right. You’re the Batman.”

The two sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Dick reached to his side to grab the empty glass & poured some bourbon into it. Dick set the bottle back down & took a sip from his glass. He let out a deep breath. “So...when I showed up to Rodrick’s apartment...that was you.”

Bruce nodded softly. “Yes, Dick.”

Dick nodded. “Right. Duh.” He continued to think to himself. “So...does that mean that you followed me to the apartment that night?”

Bruce shook his head. “No. I was really looking into intel from the GCPD that night. I just had no idea that you’d be down there.”

Dick nodded. “And, um...Cadmus…”

“I was there,” Bruce admitted. “When the firefight broke out between Cobblepot’s men & the Cadmus soldiers, I was there containing it as you broke those prisoners out.”

Dick nodded softly, suddenly filling in blank pieces. Bruce continued. “I didn’t expect you to get caught up at Cobblepot’s warehouse, though.”

Dick shrugged. “Yeah, but what’re gonna do?” Dick asked rhetorically. “When the Russians ask for you, you show up.”

Bruce turned to Dick. “This isn’t a joke, Dick.”

Dick shot a stare back at Bruce. “Yeah, no, this was never a joke to me, Bruce. It never was. It has always been very real for me. Everything down in the Gotham City Underground, everything that Nolan Drake has done to the innocent lives that he’s taken, all of it, I was there for. I wanted to stop all of it. I STILL want to stop it. No, I WILL stop it. But you haven’t seem to be able to do a goddamn thing about it, Bruce. Not as the playboy billionaire, & definitely not as the fucking Bat. I’ve come closer to stopping Nolan than you have ever gotten, & I just want you to really let that sink in & feel fucking ashamed. You’re a piece of shit, Wayne. Not just for lying like you did, but for lying about how much of a coward you really are as well.”

Suddenly, Bruce let out a booming roar & hauled his glass into the fireplace, causing the shattered glass & alcohol to ignite the flames even more. Dick flinched at the aggressive reaction. He had never seen Bruce like this.

Bruce’s chest was heaving. Bruce shut his eyes tight to be able to control his temper & breathing patterns. Dick watched as Bruce struggled to calm himself down. Dick turned & looked straight into the fiery abyss, afraid to make eye contact with the Bat. For the first time ever...Dick was afraid of Bruce Wayne.

Bruce let out a shuddered sigh before speaking. “You’re right. I am a coward. I always have been. Ever since that day…”

Dick stared at Bruce. He was afraid to speak, but he wanted to what day he was referring to.

Bruce ran a frustrated hand through his jet black hair. “That damn movie...Zorro. I loved it. It was amazing. But of course, Father wanted to go through a shortcut to get to our car. Mother had told him, ‘Thomas, don’t park too far,’ but Father knew better, right?” Bruce shook his head. “And then that mugger showed up...it was the first time I had ever seen a real gun before. It was so...big. It scared the hell out of me. Father gave the man the wallet, just like he asked, but then he had to be a big man & try something. The muggar didn’t hesitate to shoot. My mother screamed, but he panicked & grabbed her pearls, then shot her too. I don’t know why...but he looked right at me, & didn’t shoot me. He didn’t do anything to me. But at the same time...he destroyed my whole world.”

Dick nodded softly. He understood where Bruce was coming from. Losing your parents at that young age...it really shatters a child’s spirit. The loving & close family is gone, & when you’re the only one left, you feel more alone than ever before. The whole world seems darker & scarier all of a sudden.

“Jim Gordon was at the scene, actually, when the police arrived. He sat me down & consoled me. I was broken. He told me  ‘No matter how dark & scary the world seems, there will always be light.’ I believed him...until the funeral.”

Bruce’s hand suddenly began to twitch as he softly traced his finger across the armrest. “I didn’t want to go on,” Bruce continued. “I wanted to die. I tried. A lot. Alfred kept stopping me, & eventually got me a psychiatrist, but...one day I went to far. I let myself fall down a well, somewhere on our property. I was so sure the fall would kill me. I didn’t expect to fall on an entire bed of sleeping bats.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What the fuck?”

Bruce scoffed. “It was such an amazing phenomenon...all of those bats waking up & just soaring out of that cave. They just kept coming & kept flying out of the shadows, like the swarm was never ending. Like...no matter what, there would always be more bats to follow the others. They stayed hidden, but in the shadows, there was so many. They saved my life, Dick. “

Dick nodded softly. “So...is that when you decided to…?”

Bruce shook his head. “No. That day, Alfred sat me down & had a talk with me. He told me I shouldn’t be afraid of life. He said I shouldn’t be trying to kill myself, because that was a coward’s way out. He said that my father would’ve wanted me to do something meaningful with my life, something past inheriting Wayne Enterprises. He wanted me to really make a difference in the city. And then it hit me. The mugging, the murder, it was all a slap of reality in the face. I had lived under the roof of a shield from the real world that laid outside of these gates. I was oblivious to the reality of Gotham & its corruption.”

Dick nodded. “You were right to finally see the darkness in the world.”

“How could I not?” Bruce said. “It was everywhere. I began having Alfred train me in his combat knowledge that he picked up in his military experience. I constantly worked to become a stronger man, because I knew that eventually, I’d have to tackle the city in a more direct approach, as opposed to donating money to everyone.”

Dick let the words sink in. This was all coming together slowly. The conundrum that was Bruce Wayne was revealing itself, & the revelation was astonishing. The haunting dark past pushed Bruce over the edge to become the Dark Knight that the city needed.

“What about the bats?” Dick asked.

Bruce turned to Dick. “What about them?”

Dick shrugged. “As cool as that story about the well is...how did you decide to become a Bat vigilante?”

Bruce bit his lip & sighed. “When I fell into that well, I was afraid. Very afraid. I thought I was actually going to die. The bats...they did save me, but yet, I still associate them with...that fear I felt. I wanted to invoke the same fear onto the thugs & rapists & murderers of Gotham. I wanted them to feel how I felt when I saw that gun that night.”

“Wow,” Dick gasped. “Dark…”

Bruce nodded. “This is a dark world, Dick. You should know that better than anyone else.”

Dick nodded slowly in agreement. “You’re right,” he said softly. “In a dark world where the good & the innocent are the ones to suffer & die, someone needs to pay.”

Bruce turned to Dick slowly. He eyed Dick, as if trying to comprehend something about him that wasn't already known. “You’re broken, Dick. Like me.”

Dick looked up at Bruce, feeling a sudden sense of numbness in his body. Was he really like Bruce Wayne? Was he really a broken guy? Everything around him went up in flames. He lost the people he cared about the most, whether it was by his own wrongdoing or by the hands of death.

“You...you kill...don’t you?” Dick asked.

Bruce sighed deeply, as if it was painful to answer that question. But Dick knew his response.

Dick cleared his throat. “I know you do. I’m not judging you. I’m in no place to judge, because I completely understand. Sometimes, in order to do what’s right, we need to kill the right person. Not the good, not the innocent, but...the one who deserves it. The one who needs to pay.” Dick turned to Bruce. “Did you ever find the man who murdered your parents?”

“No,” Bruce breathed softly.

Dick shook his head. “But you’re the Batman, now. You’re powerful. You could kill him. Use the Bat, Bruce.  The mask is a subliminal way to unleash the rawness of who you really are. You can do it if you really wanted to. It would feel good. Relieving, almost. Like a big weight being lifted off of your shoulder. The sense of empowerment & accomplishment, the rush of adrenaline coursing through your veins. It’d be good.”

Bruce stared at Dick. He scoffed, shaking his head. “Revenge isn’t justice, Dick. It doesn’t bring back your parents.”

Dick stared at Bruce. He felt his face become warm for a second. Bruce...wasn’t a killer? Or he wasn’t admitting to it, at least. Dick didn’t understand. It didn’t...bring fulfillment?

“I know what you did, Dick,” Bruce started. “That night, on the docks. I was there that night, watching Tony Zucco. I was going to apprehend him, but then I saw you that night. I saw you sneak through those men & I saw you confront the man who killed your parents. I saw you murder him in cold blood. I know, Dick.”

Dick felt his heart sink lower in his chest. Bruce continued. “But it didn’t make anything better, did it? You still felt alone. You felt like there was a part of you that no one would really accept about you. You felt a small piece of you disappear. Part of your soul & spirit decayed, & you lose a bit of your humanity.”

Dick felt his eyes fill up with water. Bruce was right. Dick hadn’t been happy in a very long time. Truly happy. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he would never be the same person after that murder.

But then Dick’s kind trailed off to Barbara. He thought of her & how much he loved her. He thought of Kori, & Rachel, & Connor, & Logan, & Victor. He thought of Harper. He thought of Zatanna. He thought of Cheyenne. People were in his life.

But he was still really alone, after all.

Dick nodded. “You’re...not wrong,” Dick started. “But...that’s not what matters to me. I did what I did in hopes to bring justice to my parents, & to rid the streets of the scum who killed them.”

“Now, see, Dick, that's where the vengeance starts to become sinful. That's where the line is crossed, & we go from bringing  justice to bringing injustice. That's where we start to become the ones we're trying to stop. That's when we become people like Nolan Drake.”

Dick stared back at Bruce, feeling his temper being tested. “I am not Nolan Drake,” Dick spat.

Bruce scoffed softly to himself. “Prove it,” he murmured.

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

Bruce turned to Dick. “You’ve taken a man’s life. Whether it was to avenge your parents, or for revenge, you crossed a line that night. You’ve grown up since then. You’ve become a man who is fully capable of knowing right from wrong. You should now see the line that divides us from them. With that, you must be willing to be able to take charge & no what you need to do for our city.”

Dick let the words sink in. Bruce wanted Dick to become more aware of his decisions...to be less ruthless & consider the wrong in killing.

“Then why do you kill?” Dick asked Bruce.

Bruce took a deep breath & let out a sigh. “I’ve already crossed that line far too much. I try to stop...I try to weigh the consequences of my actions. I remind myself that I cannot become the men who I hunt down every night, but…”

Dick spoke. “Sometimes the lines get blurred. Sometimes the only thing between you & them is the mask & cape.”

Bruce turned to Dick. “Yeah…”

Dick shook his head. “I just...I can’t wrap my head around how you just...get up every night & do this.”

“It’s a duty,” Bruce said. “It’s something that must be done in this city. Someone has to do what others won’t in order to save it.”

Dick nodded. “I...I think I’ve been playing ‘Hero’ lately.”

Bruce hid his slight smirk. “You have, Dick.”

Dick scratched his head. “I...I might have gone too far lately. I got too many people caught up in this. I got too many people almost killed. Loads of people WERE killed.”

Bruce nodded. He stood up from his armchair & began to walk towards the fireplace. He stopped & stared into the fire itself. The bright flames lit the outer edges of Bruce’s body, creating a silhouette against the fire. Dick stared at the shadow. He was tall. His shoulders were broad & his muscles twitched with every rise & fall of the man’s breathing.

Dick nodded. “Help me, Bruce.”

Bruce turned back to Dick. “I’ve been trying to, Dick.”

“No, no, I mean, REALLY help me. Help me with Drake, & help me do what I need to do to save this city. Help me become a hero, Bruce.”


	36. Robin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick begins training alongside Bruce.

Dick woke up to a sudden knock at his bedroom door. Dick rose up from his sheets, unsure of whether the knocking was part of a dream or not. Dick glanced out towards the window. It was still dark out. He glanced down at his phone & examined the time. It was 5:00 AM.

Dick tried to recall the night before. His head was throbbing. Maybe the knocking was really in his head & not the door. He was drinking last night; Dick knew that much. He was upset over Rachel & Kori & the guys leaving the night before. He drank & wallowed in self-pity. Then…

The caves.

Dick shook his head in the bed. The caves...the computer...the car...the Bat. It was all a dream, wasn’t it? The Batman never chased Dick down, right? Dick couldn’t tell the memories from his dreams. It all seemed to be one & the same. How much of it was he dreaming?

Dick wiped his face with his hands & took a deep breath. The caves were in Bruce Wayne’s office. Bruce Wayne...was the Batman. That much was clear. The Batmobile, the GCPD archives, all of it. Alfred attacking Dick...that was real. Dick ran away in the Batmobile, but the Batman chased him across town. The Batman...Bruce...saved Dick from a few thugs. Bruce killed one of them. At least...Dick thought so. There was a lot of blood.

Bruce ended up explaining to Dick why he had become the Batman. He was trying to protect the city & do what others wouldn’t be able to do in order to save the city. He donned the mask in order to provoke a certain fear in criminals...almost like a predator frightening his prey. Dick had asked Bruce to help him become a hero to fight Nolan Drake.

“Dick,” Bruce called from the other side of his bedroom door. “Wake up.”

Dick groaned. “Okay,” he grunted as he rolled out of the bed. “I’m gonna shower.”

Bruce opened Dick’s door & stepped inside. He was wearing slim joggers & an Under Amour shirt & some black running shoes. Were they Yeezy Ultra Boosts…? “We’re running for two hours,” Bruce said. “No shower just yet.”

That’s what Dick’s entire day consisted of: running 15 miles from 5:00 AM to 7:00 AM. Bruce & Dick returned home to eat breakfast, & after a short while, they began to train in Bruce’s gym. First, they practiced Judo. Bruce wanted Dick to be able to conduct self-defense against a larger opponent. They did this for several hours, & ended with one hour of cardio. The next day was similar. Dick woke up at 5:00 to run, & ate breakfast at 7:00. After breakfast, they changed Judo to Jujitsu for a few hours, then the remaining hour was weight lifting & conditioning. The routine continued regularly for a week, with running 15 miles every morning, training in some martial art form with Bruce, & then either cardio or weight lifting. There was a day in which Dick didn’t lift weights or do cardio, but instead, Bruce & Dick did yoga. Dick enjoyed that. He didn’t question any of the training. Dick knew it was what he needed to become what the city needed him to be.

On the 8th day, Dick ran up to Bruce in their early morning run. “Do you normally run 15 miles?” Dick asked.

“Yeah,” Bruce grunted in between breaths.

Dick nodded, following alongside Bruce down the trail laid out across the property. “What makes you think that this isn’t too much for me?”

Bruce smirked. “Because if it was, you would’ve stopped a week ago.”

Dick scoffed. He wasn’t wrong. Dick would have given up so long ago. However, he wasn’t just any kid. He had pushed himself to his peak strength & skill in combat & acrobatics. He could manage a few jogs in the afternoon.

Dick began to jog backwards beside Bruce. “Wanna race?” he taunted.

Bruce turned to Dick, continuing his jog. “What?”

Dick smirked. “Do you wanna-” & just as he was about to finish his sentence, he tripped on a log & fell onto his bottom.

Bruce stopped in his place & turned to help Dick up. “Be mindful of your surroundings.”

* * *

 Dick dodged the bandage-wrapped punch, side-stepping to the right & throwing a left hooked punch at Bruce in the gym. Bruce stumbled back & quickly regained his footing, swing a kick up to Dick’s head. Dick blocked the kick with his forearm & swung another kick back at Bruce, connecting his foot to Bruce’s skull. Bruce stepped back & reached for his head, blinking roughly.

Dick panicked. He stepped towards Bruce, concerned. “Did I get you bad?” Dick asked with genuine care.

Bruce shook his head. “It’s fine,” he groaned. Bruce kneeled down, rubbing his temple, then shot upwards, throwing an upright swing below Dick’s jaw. Dick fell hard, rocking back & rolling on his side.

Dick glared up at Bruce in anger. “Bruce,” Dick growled.

Bruce smirked & stretched his hand out for Dick to grasp. “Never let yourself get distracted, kid.”

Dick rolled his eyes & grabbed Bruce’s arm, pulling him onto the ground. Bruce fell forward, but managed a roll. As Bruce got back up, Dick leaped onto Bruce’s back & clung on. Bruce reached up & tossed Dick off of Bruce’s back, but Dick flipped in the air, spinning in a somersault & landed right on his feet like a cat & shot a kick straight into Bruce’s gut. Bruce fell onto his knees, groaning.

Dick watched Bruce & studied his facial expression. It was a genuinely pained face. Dick had actually hurt Bruce.

Bruce gasped & looked up at Dick. He eyed the young boy up & down, grinning softly. “Where’d you learn how to do that?”

Dick shrugged. “The Flying Graysons,” Dick responded. “Dad insisted that I performed that flip when I needed to improvise.”

Bruce nodded to himself. “You could teach me few things.”

Dick arched his eyebrow & snickered softly. He stood up & walked to a nearby bench & wiped his sweaty forehead with a dry towel. He felt his mouth stretch to a smile. He felt he would smile for the rest of the day.

* * *

 The training had gone on for roughly two weeks. Dick had started to become impatient. He was itching to get back onto the field again. He was itching to take Nolan Drake down, once & for all. But Bruce didn’t have enough intel on the matter. They hadn’t exactly pinpointed any recent activity from Nolan. It was as though he had disappeared. Dick was getting paranoid.

Bruce assured Dick that he would look into anything that the GCPD managed to dig up. Dick decided to let Bruce conduct his detective work & focus on whatever he could at the manor. While Bruce was away, working as the Batman, Dick stayed down in the Batcave to see what he could do from behind the computer.

Dick sat on the large chair & stared up at the big computer screen. Dick struggled to decide where to start looking. He had a super computer at his disposal. He could probably search any location & manage to hack into some sort of database & pick up any facial recognition. After all, this was Bruce’s technology. It HAD to be worth the money.

Suddenly, a thought traced across Dick’s mind. He searched for the facial recognition database & clicked on it. A blank search bar appeared.

Dick hesitated to press at the keyboard. He wanted to be sure he wanted to do it. He took a deep breath & began clicking at the board. Once he had typed in the name, he clicked the “ENTER” key. Dick looked up at the screen & watched as a simulated Earth appeared. The program began to zoom in close on the United States, then closer to the Northeast corner of the country, then close to Gotham City, then downtown, when finally, it honed in on the GCPD. As the satellite image rendered into a high-resolution image, Dick began to see the red blotch shift to a bright red haired girl with pale skin & bright blue eyes. She had managed to glance upward at the sky, for some reason. Dick smiled. She was carrying her book bags, pressing them up against her chest, as though she felt that those enlightening books would escape her grasp. She wore her schoolgirl uniform, with the white button up top & plaid skirt. Dick felt his heart race. Barbara was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. And he missed her.

Dick shut his eyes tight, fighting the urge to let a tear roll down his cheek. Dick took a deep breath. He knew what he had to do. He needed to stop Nolan Drake.

Dick erased Barbara’s name & began to tap away at the keyboard. He typed in Nolan Drake’s name & clicked the “ENTER” key. Dick waited as the screen began to generate another image, but this was an image during the night. It was taken at night on a traffic camera. Dick recognized the street. It was a few blocks down from the Iceberg Lounge. Nolan Drake was in an old black muscle car, riding shotgun alongside a younger boy behind the wheel. The boy wore a dark red shirt, almost maroon. He was pale & had dark slicked hair. Dick thought he recognized the boy. He may have just been one of Nolan’s goons from the Underground.

Dick clicked on the license plate of the car that Nolan was driving in & the system immediately began scanning the license, cross referencing it along with any other registered vehicles in Gotham. Finally, a file from the GCPD appeared on screen. It belonged to a Willis Todd. The man was a small time criminal, being arrested for petty crimes such as theft & car jacking. His file showed that he had ties to a few mobster gangs, & was even tied with the ex-district attorney Harvey Dent, who was now known as the crime lord Two-Face. The man died roughly three years ago.

With a name to go with the license of the vehicle, Dick could very well be able to track down the car, along with Nolan Drake himself.

Dick didn’t hesitate to act. Dick grabbed his phone & dialed Detective Gordon’s number. He raised the phone up to his ear, waiting for the phone to stop ringing. After a few moments, the call was answered.

 _“Hey, pipe down over there!”_ Gordon called out to someone else. _“Sorry, kid, things are hectic right now. We’re preparing security for the State of the City Address this weekend. What’s up?”_

Dick grinned. “Jim, I think I have a lead on Nolan Drake’s whereabouts.”

 _“SHUT UP!”_ Jim called out to someone else in the police department. _“Wait, you know where he is?”_

“Yeah, I think so. I have a license plate of a car he was driving in a few weeks ago.”

 _“A plate?”_ Jim repeated. _“Wait, how?”_

Dick sighed. “That night, when the Iceberg Lounge was shot up, Nolan Drake was there. A traffic camera caught him in a black muscle car. The car belongs to a dude named Willis Todd.”

Jim grunted on the other line. _“Yeah, Willis. I remember him. I arrested him tons of times. I think he’s dead now.”_

Dick nodded. “If I send you the license plate, will you run it through your database & locate it for me?”

 _“Sure,”_ Gordon said. _“But you’ve gotta leave this to us, Dick.”_

“Jim, you know I can’t do that.”

There was a brief awkward moment of silence between the two. _“You’re a stubborn kid, Dick.”_ Jim sighed. _“You’re just like Barbara.”_

Dick’s heart stopped. He felt chills run down his spine, & his face grew warm. He wanted to ask, but didn’t feel like it was the right moment. Dick hesitated, but he quickly decided he needed to. “How is Barbara, Jim?”

Jim was quiet for a brief moment. _“She misses you, Grayson.”_

Dick nodded. He felt his eyes fill with water. He blinked tight, letting salty tears drip down his cheeks. “Tell her I miss her too. Tell her I miss her so much.”

Jim was silent over the phone. Dick wondered if he had stepped over a line. _“Look, Dick...she’s really counting on you to come back to her. Whatever happens...don’t go back to her as a broken man. Do what’s right, & make sure you go back to her as a whole.” _

Dick nodded softly. He understood the detective perfectly. He wanted Dick to not kill Nolan Drake, & to be able to pick up where he left things with Barbara. Dick had every intention of returning back to Barbara once things had settled. He wanted nothing other than to just hold Barbara once more, & live a normal life. But something in Dick’s gut told him that this wouldn’t be as easy as he thought. Dick knew that a lot was at stake. He also knew that he may not have it in him to let Nolan Drake walk away.

“Okay, Jim,” Dick said. “I’ll make sure everything is alright before I come back to Barbara.”

With that, Dick said his goodbye & hung up. He would wait for Jim to send Dick the coordinates to Willis Todd’s car, & Dick would try to find Nolan Drake in that location. It should work.

Suddenly, Dick hear a roaring echo. Dick swiveled in the chair to find the Batman driving down the dark cave, approaching the center platform. As the car slowed down to a stop, the doors opened, revealing a maskless Bruce Wayne. “The State of the City Address,” Bruce abruptly called out.

Dick stared back at Bruce as he approached the computer. “What?” Dick asked.

Bruce began to type away at the keyboard. “Dick, that’s where Nolan’s next attack is going to be. And I think this is it.”

Dick’s eyes grew wide open. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘this is it?’”

Bruce took a deep breath & began to explain. “Alright. Nolan Drake’s whole motive seems to be driven by his desire to fix the city. He wants to save it, but in order to save it, he has to destroy it. He was planning this ever since Old Gotham. He wanted to get topside, once he had enough weapons & men, & he was going to try to take over the city. Once his boys were flushed out, he took another approach. He used his partnership with Cobblepot to get ahold of his weapons, & orchestrated those attacks across town.”

“Bruce, where are you going with this?” Dick asked. “This is stuff we already know.”

“Here me out, Dick,” Bruce insisted. He continued. “The Gotham City Academy & the coffee shop were both examples of what he would want to do. But according to eyewitnesses in the Iceberg Lounge, he didn’t use the same kind of weapon he had used before.”

“Right,” Dck agreed. “No explosives. Just gas.”

Bruce nodded. “Neurotoxins. They alter the chemistry within the brain, causing hallucinations as a minor effect, or long term effects such as schizophrenia, or even permanent brain damage, or even death.”

Dick shook his head. “That explains the freaky shit I saw that night at the Lounge.”

Bruce pulled up schematics of the City Hall building plans. “Yeah, you were most likely affected by it.” Bruce sighed. “He’s using a different weapon, now. The bioweapon must be a last minute decision that he made after his supply of the explosive solution was destroyed.”

Dick glanced up at the computer screen, surveying the building plans. “So, in order to get the city’s attention & save the city in his own sick little way, he plans to release the neurotoxins during the State of the City Address?”

Bruce looked down at Dick. “Bingo,” he said.

Dick sighed. “It’s this weekend, right?”

Bruce nodded. “Today is Thursday.”

Dick let out a deep, frustrated breath. “Okay. We need a game plan, then.”

Bruce stepped away from the computer & approached a nearby workbench. Dick stood up from the chair & followed Bruce. Bruce stood at the workbench & unraveled a blueprint for something. “What we need, Dick, is to get you a suit.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“You’ve shown me that you’re more than capable of keeping up with my work, Dick. Both on the field & in a deductive level. I really could use your help on this one, but in order for us to go all out in taking this guy down, I can’t have you be recognized by the GCPD & have you arrested. You’ve gotta conceal your identity.”

Dick looked up at Bruce, wearing his Batsuit from his neck down. The dark armor glistened in the bright lights above in the cave. Dick both admired the suit & feared it. “Bruce...you’re a vigilante. I think I’d have more of an issue with the GCPD wearing a mask than just...going in & out, & taking Drake down.”

Bruce shook his head. “I’m at a good place with the GCPD. I’m a consultant, in some ways. There’s no issues with me working alongside them, & having you alongside me will grant you immunity, rather than you being seen as a kid acting above the law on his own.”

Dick sighed. He glanced down at the armor. Dick had asked to become a hero...but he didn’t want to lose himself in the process. He didn’t want to become Bruce’s soldier, fighting Bruce’s war against the crime of Gotham.

Dick scoffed softly to himself. What was he talking about? He was already brought into the war. And losing himself? Dick had lost himself so long ago.

Dick cleared his throat. “Code name,” he started. “I refuse to be given a dumb code name.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “What do you consider dumb?”

“Batboy.”

Bruce looked down at the blueprint. He ripped off the corner of the blueprint & crumbled it up, then tossed it aside. “No Batboy,” he said, embarrassed.

Dick nodded. He took the blueprints from Bruce & began to survey them himself. It was an armored suit, & it resembled Bruce’s Batsuit, only, it lacked the Bat insignia on the chest. “I like this,” Dick said. “I’m glad this is bulletproof. I really do. I just...I don’t see why I also need a cape.”

Bruce nodded. “Believe me, the way we’re going to be traversing the city, we’ll need some aerodynamics on our side. The cape will help us glide through the air.”

Dick shrugged. “I can kind of do that already,” he mentioned softly. Suddenly, an idea hit him. “The circus,” he said.

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Wait, what?”

Dick looked up at Bruce. “This...what I’m about to do...I need to do this for my parents. I need to do this because of what happened to them. The consequences of this city’s crime, SOMEONE needs to pay. And yes, I may have already gotten my revenge, but...that was not honorable. I need to honor them.” Dick touched the suit with the tips of his fingers. “Red & yellow, just like our Flying Grayson suits were.”

Bruce nodded. “Red & yellow...you got it.”

Dick smiled. “And...the code name.”

Bruce nodded. “Right. I can’t exactly call you ‘Dick’ in the middle of a fight, now, can I?”

Dick rolled his eyes. He leaned against the workbench, looking down at the blueprint of the suit. He envisioned himself wearing the red & yellow suit, gliding across the skyline of Gotham. He imagined himself flying, like he did all those years ago underneath the circus tents. He thought about the times that made him happy, performing those majestic acrobatic stunts. He thought of the tragedy that took him away from that, & how he was alone at the orphanage. He thought of Cheyenne coming to that orphanage, reminding him that he was not alone. He thought of all of the good times he spent with her. One of his most fond memories with her was when he would rush to help her whenever she hurt herself in the playground. He always ran to get her a bandaid. One day, after Dick had gotten her a bandaid, Dick spotted a bird nearby. Dick loved to call to some birds, & they would occasionally respond to him. That day, the bird he called to flew to Dick. Dick showed off the red & yellow bird to Cheyenne. It made her smile.

“Robin,” Dick whispered. “I’ll be Robin.”


	37. Bluebird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick tracks down Nolan Drake's apartment to find something rather disturbing, revealing a darker side to Drake.

Dick walked across the rooftop of the apartment building, surveying the landscape underneath him. He searched for the black muscle truck parked in the street below, confirming the location of Nolan’s car that Jim sent to Dick. Bruce & Dick had gone over the plan for the State of the City Address that was taking place that night. Bruce would survey the security, checking for any signs of suspicion during the event. While that was going on, Dick would check his lead, seeing if the car would lead to Nolan Drake. If it didn’t, Dick would need to report immediately back to City Hall, where the Address would take place.

Dick had asked Harper Row to be on coms with him, hoping to be able to have someone watch over him as he made his moves through the city. As he made his way across the rooftop, he glanced down & noticed a familiar Dodge Charger. It was an older model, possible ‘89, maybe older. But it was the right car.

Dick raised his finger up to his ear & pressed against the earpiece. “Bluebird, you see this?” he asked Harper.

_ “Um,” _ Harper’s voice hummed as Dick heard her clicking away at a keyboard.  _ “Yeah, I’ve got visual. I see it.” _ Harper let out a whistle.  _ “Wow, this is a really cool feature you installed in your suit. The camera feed directly from your glasses is a really sick touch.” _

Dick grinned. “It’s not from my glasses,” he admitted. “It’s a mask. It’s a whole new suit, actually.”

_ “Oh, really? Well, when you’re done with this, you’ve gotta let me see the full suit in action.” _

Dick nodded. “For sure,” he said. Dick stared down at the car, then surveyed the building it was parked by. It was an old apartment building in the ghetto of Gotham. Dick would have no problem getting in. The only issue would be finding out whether or not Nolan Drake was actually inside.

Dick took a few steps back from the edge of the rooftop, letting his hand drop down to a grapple hook holstered on his thigh. He removed it slowly, & shut his eyes. He breathed in & out, & after taking a few deep breaths, he opened his eyes again. He began to run towards the edge of the rooftop &, placing one foot on the edge & the other out in the air, leaped off of the rooftop. He felt the wind rush past his face, & suddenly he was flying through the air under a large circus tent. The nostalgic feeling of being a Flying Grayson overwhelmed Dick for a brief second, but he envisioned his newly revamped Flying Grayson leotard, with the body armor & cape & weaponry, & suddenly he was the Robin again. Dick quickly shot his arm out & pulled the trigger of the grapple hook, watching it latch onto the roof of the apartment building. Dick grabbed the grapple gun with both hands & swung his legs out, letting the hook pull him up through the air, shooting him over the edge of the apartment building roof. He landed softly on the building, with his legs extended & one palm pressing down on the concrete.

Dick stood up & let out a satisfied sigh. “Did you see that, Bluebird?”

Harper let out a soft laugh. _ “Yeah, that was dope, Robin,” _ Harper said.

Dick walked towards the emergency exit of the rooftop & made his way down the stairwell. As he did so, Harper briefed him. _ “So, according to the address where you’re located, there is in fact ONE room being paid for by a Mr. Oswald Cobblepot.” _

“That’s gotta be Drake,” Dick said.

_ “That’s right,” _ Harper agreed.  _ “It says his payments are for room 212.” _

“On it.” Dick began to rush down the stairwell, counting down the numbers marked on the walls of the stairs. He watched as the numbers got closer, from 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, & finally, 2. Dick stopped in front of the second floor door & opened it slowly, peering down the hall. Nobody was around. Dick walked slowly down the hall, searching for room 212. Suddenly, he came across the room. It was quiet, causing Dick to believe that perhaps it was a mistake.

Dick shook his head. Nolan Drake should be inside.

Dick reached down towards his utility belt, similar to the Batman’s, & removed two Batarangs. Dick insisted that he get his own styled blades, but Bruce had suggested against it for the time being. Dick held the blades up, ready to toss them if necessary. In one swift motion, Dick kicked down the apartment door & swung his arm forward, throwing the blades across the room.

The blades hit the wall behind a bed, where a young man sat. He was shirtless, lying in a bed of what looked like a one bedroom apartment. There was no living room, no kitchen. Just the bed in the middle of the room, & a desk near the side. Large computers were placed around, with wires tangled across the lining of the room. The man in the bed looked shocked. He looked a lot older than Dick, but only by a few years. He was really good looking, but he looked horrified. It wasn’t Nolan Drake.

“Where’s Drake?” Dick asked in a low, raspy voice.

The man shuttered in his bed. “What…?”

“NOLAN DRAKE!” Dick growled. “WHERE IS HE?”

“I don’t-”

Dick removed the long, metal pole that was holstered on his back & swung it down hard against the bed, in between the man’s legs. “DON’T LIE TO ME!”

The man brought his legs up to his chest & raised his hands up in fear. “Oh my gosh, please don’t kill me! I swear to God, I have no idea where Nolan is right now, I swear on my life!”

Dick stared at the man. His eyes were wide open, & his built chest was heaving hard. This man was truly afraid. Did he really not know where Nolan Drake was?

“Who...are you?” the young man asked. His voice got higher & softer with every second that Dick stared at him. After a few moments, Dick turned to the computers by the nearby desk & began to inspect them. He removed a flash drive that Harper had given to Dick earlier. He placed it within a USB port of one of the computers. It began to download every file from the computer’s hard drive straight into the flash drive. Dick waited for the transferring of the data to be completed. Suddenly, the man spoke again. “Is Nolan in trouble?”

Dick turned back to the man, who was still hiding himself underneath the blankets of the bed. He shook his head. “I had no idea that he was a bad man. Well, I knew, but, I wasn’t sure HOW bad of a man he was. I thought he just, like, dealt drugs. But...if he’s getting caught up in this vigilante business, then...it’s a lot more worse than that, isn’t it…?”

Dick took a few steps closer towards the man in the bed. “Has Nolan Drake really not told you anything?” Dick asked softly in his normal voice.

The man shook his head. “No...nothing...he never talks about his work. Or his friends. Or his family. He doesn’t talk about himself, much. Just how he wants a better life for him & I.”

Dick stared at the man with a subtly raised eyebrow. He was confused. Nolan Drake was keeping...this guy from his plans? Was his criminal mastermind lifestyle a secret? Or...was this guy the secret?

Dick cleared his throat. “How...how do you know Nolan, again?”

The man smiled softly. “We, um…” his face began to blush a bright red. “I’m not sure what we would label ourselves as. I don’t know if I’d call him my boyfriend yet, but...we’re certainly getting there.”

“Oh,” he said softly. “Nolan & you are boning.”

The man shrugged. “Yeah, pretty much.”

Dick nodded. “Huh,” he hummed to himself. “Didn’t see that coming.”

The man raised an eyebrow. “Are you, like, his ex or something?”

_ “Am I actually hearing this right?”  _ Harper asked on the earpiece.

Dick shook his head. “So, are you SURE that you have NO idea where Nolan is right now? Or maybe what he’s been planning?”

The man nodded to the computer. “He would spend late hours tapping away on that computer. If he had any sort of plans about anything, it might be there. I’m telling you, he doesn’t tell me anything.”

Dick nodded, & glanced back at the flash drive. There was a red flashing light on the drive. It was still downloading files.

_ “Hey, Robin,”  _ Harper started.  _ “Switch to infrared for a second. I’m...picking something up.” _

Dick reached to the side of his mask & pressed hard, switching his vision to night vision. He pressed once more for infrared. He was picking up heat signatures from the warm computer. He turned towards the man, who was warm in various spots on his body. He then turned to the left, where he was picking up a heat signature...in a closet.

Dick pressed the mask to allow him to see in normal vision again. He turned to the man. “Who else is here?”

The man held his hands up. “Nobody, I swear!”

Dick drew a small blade with one hand from his utility belt & launched himself onto the bed, pressing the blade across the man’s throat. “I will slit your throat right here & now if you don’t tell me who else you’re hiding in here.”

“I’m not hiding any-”

“Is Nolan Drake here right now?” Dick roared.

“No!” the man cried. He began to sob in genuine fear.

_ “Robin, hop off of the guy. I don’t think he knows anything.” _

Dick took a deep breath & slid off of the bed, placing the blade back into the belt. “I’m sorry, man,” Dick said softly.

The man nodded in an erratic motion, shivering in fear. Dick felt really bad, invoking this sort of trauma & fear on an innocent bystander. He wish he had a heart rate sensor in his mask, to help him determine whether someone was lying or not. He’d have to talk to Bruce about that.

Dick made his way to the door & tugged on the doorknob. It was locked. He glanced to the man. “Has this always been locked?”

The man nodded. “Nolan never let me inside.”

Dick nodded, & removed a small pin that he happened to have in his pocket. He began to pick the lock of the doorknob, trying to unlock the closet. After a few moments, Dick heard a click, & swing the closet door open. Inside the dark closet was a horrific sight.

“Oh my god,” Dick gasped to himself.

Dick knelt down in the closet, staring at the young boy. He was dark haired & was wearing ripped & tattered clothes, revealing almost his entire body. He was bloody, bruised, & scarred all over his skin. The boy’s chest was hardly moving. For a second, Dick thought the boy was dead. But there was a small sign of life. The boy couldn’t have been more than 9 or 10 years old.

_ “Dick…” _ Harper’s voice spoke softly through the earpiece. Dick almost forgot she could see what he saw.  _ “That’s…” _ Harper’s voice trailed off.

Dick reached over to the boy to try to wake him. Before he made physical contact with the boy, the boy awoke & pulled himself away from Dick. “Please don’t hurt me!” the boy cried.

Dick brought his hand back to himself. He removed his mask from his face, revealing himself to the boy. “I’m not going to hurt you,” Dick said. “I’m here to help you.”

The boy shook his head. “I don’t want anymore help.”

Dick felt his heart shatter. What in God’s name did Nolan Drake do to this kid?

_ “Dick...ask him his name for me,”  _ Harper said.  _ “I’ve got to be sure.” _

Dick cleared his throat. “My name is Robin,” Dick said with a soft smile.

For a moment, the boy didn’t acknowledge him. But after a second, the boy looked up at Dick with calmer eyes. “Robin...like the bird?”

Dick nodded. “Exactly like the bird.”

The boy looked down at his hands. His eyes trailed back to Dick’s body armor. The bright colors got the boy’s attention. “Can you fly?” he asked.

Dick smiled. He leaned closer & nodded. “Yes, I can.”

The boy’s mouth stretched to a genuine smile. He looked down at his feet again, with less sadness in his eye.

Dick bit his lip, then looked the boy in his eyes. “What’s your name?”

The boy looked up at Dick. “Cullen.”

_ “Oh my god, Dick,”  _ Harper cried through the static.  _ “That’s my brother, Dick! That’s my baby brother!” _

Dick shut his eyes tight. He felt a tear drop down from his cheek. Cullen sat forward & wiped Dick’s cheek. “Why are you crying, Robin?”

Dick let out a soft laugh & took Cullen’s tiny hand in his own gloved hand. “It’s nothing,” Dick said. “I’m okay.”

Cullen nodded & readjusted himself, sitting with his legs crossed. He sat up straight, as if he was ready to hear Dick tell a story.

Dick suddenly had an idea.

He sat down & crossed his legs like Cullen was. He leaned closed. “Wanna hear something awesome?” Dick asked. Cullen nodded. Dick continued. “I’ve got a friend here on the line,” he said, pointing to his ear. “Her name is Bluebird. I think she would want to talk to you. Is that okay with you?”

Cullen nodded. “Hi, Bluebird!” he said with such enthusiasm.

Dick pressed his earpiece. “Did you hear that, Bluebird?”

There was silence on the coms. Dick waited to hear some indication that Harper was still there. Suddenly, he heard a sniffling sound, & Harper let out a sob. Dick felt his chest grow heavy.

“What did she say?” Cullen asked. 

Dick opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly Harper’s voice echoed not in his ear, but through some hidden speaker on his own armor.  _ “Hi, Cullen!” _

Dick looked down at his armor, then up at Cullen, who was smiling still. “You sound like my sister,” Cullen said.

Harper let out a weak laugh.  _ “Well, that’s because I know your sister, silly!” _

Cullen gasped, with his eyes excited. “You know Harper?”

_ “Yes, Cullen, I do. She’s my best friend.” _

Cullen scooted closer to Dick, although he was really trying to get closer to Bluebird. “Can you tell her I miss her?”

Harper sniffled again.  _ “She knows you do, baby,” _ she said as her voice cracked in tears. _ “Harper misses you so much.” _

Cullen nodded. A small tear dropped from his face. He looked back up at Dick. “Are you & Robin going to take me back to see my sister?”

_ “Yes, Cullen. Robin is going to take you home back to your sister.” _

Dick smiled. He reached down & placed his mask back over his eyes. He reached for a nearby towel in the closet & draped it around Cullen. “Let’s go home, Cullen.”

Dick stood up & held his hand out to help Cullen up. Cullen’s skinny arm extended out from under the towel, but as he grabbed onto Dick’s hand & tried to stand up, he fell back down. His legs were too weak to hold himself back up.

Dick sighed & reached down, picking Cullen’s entire body up. He carried him out of the small closet as Cullen wrapped his thin legs around Dick’s waist & his fragile arms around Dick’s neck. Dick glanced at the man in the bed, who stared back in a solemn stare. He had no idea what Nolan was doing. He looked devastated. He was heartbroken.

Dick walked over to the computers, where the flash drive blinked green. The files had been completely downloaded.

Dick walked out of the apartment, making his way down the hall. Dick pressed onto his earpiece. “Bluebird, call Detective Jim Gordon. Have him pick Cullen up from here. I’ve got to get Nolan Drake.”


	38. Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick heads to City Hall, where him & Bruce are on the lookout for Nolan Drake.

Dick ran across the rooftops of the Gotham City skyline, towards the bright lights. He had to get to City Hall. Fast.

Dick leaped, flew, glided, & fell over & around & above the buildings, making his way back to the Batman. He needed to secure the area before Nolan Drake could make his attack. But if Dick had the chance, & he was face to face with Nolan, he would do it. Dick would make Nolan pay for what he did to those 14 people that died in the first attack, & the children injured in the school explosion. He would make Nolan pay for what he did to Cheyenne in Chinatown. He would make Nolan pay for what he did to Cullen Harper. Dick was going to kill Nolan Drake.

As he zipped through the rooftops, his thoughts were clouded with the advice given to him by Bruce, Jim, & Barbara. He shouldn’t succumb to the darkness in him. He shouldn’t kill Nolan in cold blood.

But would he be given a choice?

Bruce told Dick that vengeance doesn’t bring back the dead. He was right about that. But...Dick wasn’t trying to bring back the dead. He was trying to put down a monster.

Suddenly, he heard the Mayor’s voice boom across a few city block. Dick cringed. The State of the City Address was starting.

Dick started to book it, running faster than he had ever tried before. As he ran, he could feel his feet stomping on the concrete of the rooftops. He wished his feet didn’t have to bare those obnoxious boots.

Finally, after making his way across two more buildings, he found himself peering over what looked like most of the city’s elite community observing the front of the City Hall. Mayor Quincy Sharp was already at the podium, welcoming the guests. Dick sighed. He had to be on high alert, now.

 _“Nice of you to drop by, Robin,”_ Bruce said over Dick’s earpiece.

Dick glanced up & around to try & spot him. He managed to squint his eyes close enough to see the Batman, looming over the event from a building across from Dick. The Batman looked terrifying in the darkness from afar. Dick pressed his earpiece to speak. “I was caught up with other matters, Batman.”

 _“Did you at least find anything?”_ Bruce asked.

“Well, I found that car,” Dick started to explain. “It was parked outside an apartment that Drake was living in. I managed to steal files from his computer setup over there. We may find anything else he might’ve been planning aside from this.”

Bruce didn’t respond. Dick watched as the Batman continued to stare down into City Hall. Dick sighed. He wanted Bruce to be impressed, to some degree. Dick cleared his throat & spoke again. “Nolan Drake kidnapped a child.”

Dick saw the Batman glance up at Dick. _“What?”_ Bruce asked.

Dick took a deep breath. “There was a guy in the apartment. Some dude. I think it was Drake’s lover. It was a little weird, but...Nolan was hiding a kid in his closet as a prisoner. I think he sexually abused the boy.”

Bruce stayed silent for a moment. Dick felt awful. He wish he hadn’t said it. Bringing it up again made Dick’s stomach churn. He was disgusted & heartbroken by the heinous crime. Finally, Bruce spoke. _“Where is the boy now?”_

“I had a friend notify Jim Gordon to pick the kid up. He’s safe, now.”

Dick watched as the Batman stood up slowly at his post. _“Good job, Robin.”_

Dick felt a faint smile rise over his face, but slowly fade away again. The job wasn’t done. Dick stood up, staring down into the crowd. “Any suspicious activity?”

 _“No,”_ Bruce said. _“Although, we may need to split up & divide our focus. We have no idea where Nolan would be setting off his the gas. I have a feeling it may be done from within the crowd, seeing as he normally sets off his attacks inside of a large crowd, where it’s harder to see.” _

Dick nodded. He surveyed the crowd, looking out for any of Drake’s thugs. However, he got distracted by two armed officers carrying a large crate down the street, aside from the crowd. The two carried the crate down the sidewalk, & turned down into an alley.

“Do you think that Nolan Drake may have some cops in his pocket?” Dick asked.

 _“Like, dirty cops?”_ Bruce asked.

“Yeah. I just saw two carrying a crate down an alleyway,” Dick explained.

Bruce sighed. _“It may very well just be merchandise for Mayor Sharp to give to the mass. Focus on the crowd.”_

“You said to divide our focus, right?” Dick asked. “I’ll follow the cops & see if they check out, & you focus on the crowd.”

Dick watched Bruce carefully to see his opinion. He nodded from across the block. “Alright, Robin. But hurry, & be careful.”

Dick nodded & quickly scurried off towards the left of the building, attempting to make his way around the city block, towards the alleyway. Dick ran fast, avoiding detection from anyone on the ground below. He sped off fast over the ledges of the buildings, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Eventually, he found himself standing over the alley where he saw the two cops disappearing off into.

Dick peered down into the alley, surveying his descension route. Dick sighed & took a few steps back. He could easily leap from the fire escape, then go downwards, but it would be a lot easier to go straight down.

Dick ran forward, stepping off from the edge of the building, then free-falling straight down into the alley. The impact of his feet landing didn’t hurt his feet or ankles, thanks to the boots’ shock resistant design. Dick stood up & followed the trail that the cops took. Dick did his best to make no noise, hoping to hear any suspicious activities from the cops over the loud noise of the event going on down the street.

As Dick approached a large metal door leading into an abandoned building, a streak of red emerged from the door & attacked Dick. Dick fell back, feeling a metal rod connect to his skull. As he landed roughly on his back, he saw a boy with a red bandana around his forehead standing over him. With one swift stomp on his face, Dick was knocked out.

* * *

 Dick began to stir awake again, regaining his senses. He felt his hands handcuffed in front of him, & his feet tied with a tight thick rope. Dick was leaning against a wall when he managed to fully observe his surroundings.

To his right, there was a chair in the middle of the cramped room. There was a woman tied up to the chair with a bag placed over her head. To the right of her was a balcony overlooking the State of the City address. To Dick’s left was one doorway, where the young boy that attacked Dick stood. His red bandana was now lowered across his mouth, & he wore a black hoodie & baggy jeans. He held an assault rifle in his hands.

Dick stared at the young boy, trying to place where he had seen him before. Dick couldn’t help but feel that he knew him from somewhere.

The boy noticed Dick staring. He turned to the door & opened it slightly, speaking to someone outside. The boy turned back to guard the door, where a young cop, a teenaged mercenary, & Nolan Drake entered. Nolan Drake turned to the young boy with the bandana & nodded. The boy shut the door behind them & continued to stand guard.

The cop & the mercenary stood by the balcony as Nolan Drake approached Dick. Dick did his best to keep a stern & still face as Nolan got closer. Nolan cleared his throat. “Well, this is new,” he said softly.

Dick raised an eyebrow. Nolan turned back to the men by the balcony. “I mean, we haven’t caught one of these clowns, yet! I would rather catch the Bat, but, hell, this is pretty cool too. A vigilante boy hasn’t been tortured yet, so, there’s one off the bucket list.” Nolan turned back to Dick. He glanced up & down Dick’s outfit. “What’s the ‘R’ for, kid?”

Dick spit in Nolan Drake’s face. “Rape-repellent,” Dick growled.

Nolan Drake wiped his face & scoffed. “Wow, what a wild accusation there, kid!”

Dick shook his head. “I went by your apartment,” Dick began to explain, in a low & disguised voice.  “I found the boy.”

Nolan stared down at Dick. He shook his head slowly. “You can have him,” he muttered. “I’m through with him.”

“Yeah, you fucking slaughtered that kid,” Dick spat back.

“I do not care!” Nolan roared down at Dick. “Whatever! It’s who I am, and you can not make me feel bad for it!”

The room grew silent. Even the large presence outside seemed to simmer down into silence.

“He was just a kid, Nolan,” Dick said softly.

Nolan Drake stared down at Dick with a cold, but somewhat guilty look. “So was I,” he muttered softly.  Nolan turned to the boy in the bandana. “Any word on where Grayson is?” he asked.

“Not yet, no,” the boy replied.

Nolan turned back to the girl in the chair & removed the bag over her head, revealing Barbara’s red hair & beautiful pale face. Instead of pretty blue eyes, her eyes were bloodshot red. Dick’s heart broke in the sheer thought of her eyes being red from either lack of sleep, or excessive crying, or both.

Nolan leaned towards Barbara. “Tell me, sugar tits, where do you think Dick Grayson could POSSIBLY be right now?”

Barbara shook her head frantically. “I have no idea! I haven’t seen him in a really long time!”

Nolan Drake rolled his eyes. “Yes, yes, I remember your story. Please spare me the details of your sexual escapade with the punk.”

Barbara stared Nolan down with a ferocious look. “You’re going to pay for this,” she hissed.

Nolan let out an exaggerated laugh. “For what, kidnapping a cop’s daughter? I plan on it, sweetie! I’m just WAITING for Dick Grayson to pop up & play hero for another night!”

Barbara shook her head, clenching her chin. “You’re going to hell for all that you’ve done, & for whatever else you have planned for Dick & the city.”

Nolan Drake grinned, glancing at the men around the room. “What’s our motto, boys?”

“Hell is home!” chanted Nolan & the three other goons in the room. Barbara stared in terror as Nolan let out a maniacal laugh & exited the room, leaving her alone with the boy in the bandana & the fake cop & merc by the balcony.

Dick acted quickly. He brought his handcuffed hands up towards his waist & removed a blade from his utility belt. He began sawing at his tied up feet, eventually freeing his feet. He glanced up at the bandana boy, who was staring off into space, not paying attention. Dick glanced towards the two men at the balcony, who were both preoccupied with the scene occurring outside.

Dick scanned his belt to see which of his blades were the ones laced with chloroform. Dick wasn’t sure. He sighed & slid out another blade & held the two in both hands, which were still handcuffed. He held his hands back, attempting to sling them towards the two on the balcony. Dick caught sight of Barbara, staring at Dick with a raised eyebrow. Dick stared back &, partially from an instinct to show off & also be somewhat flirtatious, he winked at her, then swung his wrists. The blades flew straight into the skulls of the two men, knocking them out.

“Hey!” the young boy by the door cried as Dick lunged towards him & covered his mouth with his hands. In that exact moment, Dick felt the rifle barrel pressed up against his chest.

“Okay,” Dick said softly. “Look, if you put your gun down right now, I promise I won’t snap your neck right now. And I know you saw how fast I got here. You know I’m faster than your trigger finger.”

The boy stared at Dick with a cold stare. He muttered something underneath Dick’s hand. Dick raised an eyebrow & slid his hand down, removing the bandana from the boy’s mouth & pressing his hand against his throat. “You’re not faster than my pipe swing,” the boy bragged.

Dick shook his head. “Don’t make me hurt you,” Dick pleaded. “You’re just a kid.”

The boy scoffed softly. “Yeah, you apparently have a soft spot for those, don’t you?”

Dick swiftly brought his knee up into the boy’s gut, causing him to drop his weapon. Dick kicked the rifle back, away from the boy, & head butted him. Dick tossed the boy to his right, standing over his delirious body.

Dick made his way towards Barbara & knelt down. He took out a Batarang & began sawing at the rope that tied her ankles & wrists to the chair. Dick glanced up at Barbara, but quickly looked away. He didn’t want her to recognize him.

As Dick freed Barbara’s limbs, Barbara let out a sigh of relief & dropped down in front of Dick & hugged him. “Thank you so much,” she breathed.

Dick held her tight for a moment. He was just grateful that she was alright now & wasn’t hurt. For a second, he forgot that he was Robin, & quickly let go of Barbara. “Alright,” he said in a low, disguised voice. “I’m going to clear a path out of here for you to escape. When you do, go find Jim Gordon & tell him that Nolan Drake may have a neurotoxin in place to be released among to the crowd. Have him bring backup from the station down here, because some of his officers he has in place now are working with Drake.”

“Oh my god,” Barbara gasped.

Dick stood up, & just as he fully rose up, he felt an arm close around Dick’s neck & another pulling his head back. Dick rotated, getting a good feel of the body weight of the boy who had just attacked him. He was very light. Dick grabbed a hold of the boy’s arm & flipped him over Dick’s body, throwing him against the wooden chair. Luckily, Barbara moved out of the way in time before the chair was smashed by the wood.

The boy rose back up to throw another punch at Dick, but Dick side stepped, dodging the punch, then brought his leg up to the boy’s stomach. The boy doubled back, then swung his leg back around, attempting to hit Dick’s head. Dick backed up, dodging that kick as well, & lunged forward with a punch. It connected to the boy’s nose, breaking it. Blood began to ooze down his face.

Dick pushed the boy up against the wall, holding him up by his collar. “Where is the gas?” Dick asked.

The boy shook his head. “I’m not outing Drake, man,” he said, with blood dripping down his mouth & teeth.

Dick brought his fist up & punched the wall beside the boy’s head, causing the boy to scream. “Don’t make me ask again!”

At this point, the boy began shaking his head in fear. “I...I…”

Dick punched the wall once more. “The gas!” he growled.

“He’ll kill me, man!” the boy cried.

Dick stared at the boy, his hand still raised back for a third punch. He slowly dropped his hand to his side. He sighed. “What’s your name, kid?”

The boy stared up at Dick, with an eyebrow raised. “What?” he asked.

Dick’s grip on the boy’s collar loosened. “Your name, man. You got one?”

The boy nodded softly. “Jason. Jason Todd.”

Dick suddenly remembered where he recognized the boy. He was driving Nolan Drake that night out of the Iceberg Lounge. “Was that your Dodge that you were driving Drake in the other night?” he asked.

Jason Todd’s face shifted. “What? How do you…?”

Dick leaned in close. “I’m everywhere, dude. I know it’s your father’s car too.”

Jason’s eyebrows furrowed. “Don’t you fucking-”

“It’s a nice Dodge, man.”

Jason’s eyes widened, as Dick caught him off guard. “Oh...uh, thanks. I guess.”

Dick glanced back at Barbara, who sat on the floor, watching the two in fear. Dick turned back to Jason. “How long have you been with Nolan Drake?”

Jason thought about his answer, but eventually shrugged. “I don’t know. A while.”

Dick nodded. “You were in the Underground too, right?”

Jason nodded. “Yeah. I was there.”

“So you know what Drake would do down there, right?”

“Yeah, Jason said. “It’s how it was. ‘Hell is home.’”

Dick shook his head. “Do you honestly believe that?”

Jason sighed. “It’s not any better than what’s been happening topside, now, is it?”

Dick bit his lip. He hung his head & let go of Jason’s collar. “I used to think like you, man. I used to think that Gotham was irredeemable. All of the hell that the city goes through, all of the crime & corruption & darkness, it all made me feel like nothing was left for me here.”

Jason nodded slowly. He looked into Dick’s eyes. “Did that change for you?”

Dick looked up at Jason. He scoffed with a smirk. “Yeah. I decided to stick around & do what no one else would do for my city. I decided to help save it & make a difference.”

Jason stared at Dick. “Like a superhero, huh?”

Dick shrugged. He took a few steps back, & brought his hands to his neck & stretched, showing his armor off slightly. “Nah, man, I’m just a kid in a costume. But that doesn’t make me any less qualified to save a few lives.”

Jason stared at Dick, eying him up & down. Jason glanced at Barbara, who was shifting focus between Dick & Jason. She eventually reached for the dropped rifle & held it at her side. Dick & Jason turned to Barbara. “What are we going to do?”

Dick turned to Jason, who glanced between Dick & the door. “The most I can do it probably get you out of the building. I don’t know where the gas is.”

“That’s fine,” Dick said.

Jason turned to Barbara & held his hand out. “I’m gonna need that,” he said with a sly grin.

“Oh,” Barbara said, forgetting she held his weapon in his hand. She glanced to Dick. “So, Shining Knight, what do I have to protect myself?”

Dick grinned. “You have me,” he said, pulling his staff from his back & extending it to its full length.

Barbara got behind Dick as he followed Jason to the door, rifle in hand. Jason slowly opened the door & walked out casually. Jason began shooting men down one end of the hall. Dick grabbed Barbara’s hand & began running down the end of the hall opposite of where Jason was. Barbara followed behind Dick & just as soon as men began shooting at the two, Dick twisted the staff, activating a large metallic shield. The shield extended all around the staff, protecting Dick & Barbara from the shower of bullets.

Dick pushed forward, knocking one goon off of his feet, then shoving the edge of the shield against the goon’s neck, making him fall over. Dick reached in his utility belt & grasped another Batarang, quickly tossing it down the hall. It stabbed another shooter’s neck, causing him to reach for his neck in agony. Dick removed the shielding around his staff, then swung the staff around, connecting the metal rod to the man’s skull. The man’s head hit the wall, then his body crumpled to the ground.

Dick turned to Barbara. “Are you alright?” he asked her.

Barbara stared at the bodies, then slowly looked up at Dick. “Yeah…” she said softly.

Dick’s heart ached. He didn’t want Barbara to see him this way. He didn’t wish for her to see the cold ruthlessness that Dick was capable of once he donned a mask. It was easier to be detached from the guilt of his actions this way...but not with Barbara witnessing it.

Dick looked down the hall, seeing Jason fighting off men down the other end. Jason shouted, “Go!” to Dick & Barbara. Dick grunted. He couldn’t leave this boy alone to perish.

Dick turned to Barbara. “You think you can manage to find Jim Gordon from here?”

Barbara nodded. “Yeah, I think I can.”

Dick nodded. He disconnected the staff, creating two smaller rods. He handed one to Barbara. “Use this if you have to,” he said. Dick pointed to one end of the rod. “This side of the staff has an electrical pulse that emits from it if you twist it wrong.” Barbara stared at Dick confusedly. Dick sighed. “Basically, it electrocutes things. Don’t be on that end when it does.”

Barbara stared at Dick. “Who are you?” she asked. “I feel like I know you.”

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. He gave Barbara a weak smile. “Maybe after all of this is over...I’ll tell you.”

With that, Dick ran down the end of the hall towards Jason, nightstick in hand, & swung at an armed goon. Dick knocked the man down, then deflected a punch from another man. Dick noticed Jason dropping his weapon to fight off men coming from Dick’s back. Dick connected the short staff to a man’s head, shocking the man’s skull. The man’s fried head sizzled as he fell to the ground. Dick dodged a quick jab to the face swiftly, then spun around to bring his leg up for a kick to the man’s head. The man doubled over, but suddenly reached for his gun & shot Dick in the chest. Dick fell to the ground, gasping for air. Jason ran over Dick & tackled the goon. Dick glanced down his chest, oddly not feeling that much of a pain. The bullet was indented into his armor, but hadn’t pierced it. Dick’s armor was, in fact, bulletproof. Dick’s armor saved him.

Dick rose up, watching Jason beat on the man. He threw punch after punch, completely wailing on the man. Blood splattered from the man’s face, all over Jason’s fist. Dick suddenly thought of the Cage in Old Gotham.

“Jason, get off!” Dick roared, reaching for Jason’s arm. Dick pulled Jason off of the man & threw him back. Dick looked down at the goon. His face was bloody & bruised all over. Dick shook his head. “You could have killed him,” Dick said softly.

Dick glanced up at the other end of the hall. Barbara had luckily left before she could see that. Dick turned to Jason, who was breathing heavily. He was heaving his chest. “Maybe he should die,” he murmured.

Dick shook his head. He took a step close to Jason & leaned in, close enough for Jason to hear. “Only one person deserves to die tonight, & he’s outside,” Dick whispered under his breath.


	39. The Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The State of the City Address begins, & mayhem ensues.

Dick peeked out of the doorway that led to the alleyway. Nobody noticed Dick. Dick turned behind him to see Jason holding his rifle in preparation for any trouble. Dick nodded towards the crowd with his head. “Try to avoid being detected by the crowd. Search the surrounding buildings for the gas. I’m gonna head for the rooftops & see if I see anything from above.”

Jason nodded & followed Dick out of the alley. Jason ran down the alley into another building, searching the premises. Dick sighed. He hoped that nothing bad would happen to Jason.

Dick glanced up, examining his route to reach the top of the building. Dick glanced to his side & saw a dumpster. He leaped up onto the top of the dumpster & climbed up onto a nearby fire escape. He began climbing up the railings, & made his traveling easier by leaping across various gaps within the fire escapes. Eventually, one gap was to high to reach. Dick glanced up. The ledge was only a few feet away. Dick steadied himself, & leaped upwards, grabbing onto the edge of the rooftop with his fingers. Dick hoisted himself up over the edge & stood up. Piece of cake.

Dick made his way across the rooftop, standing over the Mayor & his protective detail. The Mayor had just finished explaining the ongoing work to finish up the recent construction projects around town. Mayor Quincy Sharp cleared his throat. “I, uh...would also like to talk about something else for a moment,” Mayor Sharp started. “I understand that most of you are probably thinking one thing to yourself right now, & that is that this city is no longer safe. After some of the events that took place in this city over the course of the last few months, that is not an unfair statement to make. After the damage in the Old Gotham district, then the attack on the Olympus Hotel, the coffee shop in the Upper East Side district, & of course, the Gotham City Academy.”

Dick felt his chest grow heavy. He was present in each of those attacks. He felt more responsible for the damage than anyone else. Dick should have done more to save those lives. He should have done more to save this city from Nolan Drake. Now was possibly his last chance to finally do something.

“Then, one night, there was another attack on another private property,” Mayor Sharp explained. “The Iceberg Lounge, one of this city’s most elite nightlife spots, was attacked. The owner, Mr. Oswald Cobblepot, experienced firsthand what the rest of the city has experienced: loss, tragedy, & fear. A man of a good heart, who has given everything to this city, & has done so much for the city government in fundings, has taken a low hit from Gotham City’s most notorious. It is tragic, indeed, but just as he is doing now, the rest of us must be strong.” Mayor Sharp glanced to his side, then back into the audience. “Please give a warm welcome for Mr. Oswald Cobblepot,” he announced, raising his hands together to clap.

The rest of Gotham joined the Mayor in welcoming Cobblepot, watching as he walked onto the stage. He limped across the stage in an odd manner, almost resembling a penguin. Dick watched as Cobblepot approached the microphone. “Thank you, Mayor Sharp,” Cobblepot said. He turned to the audience. “Crime is currently at an all time high here in Gotham. Police have reported more muggings, robberies, & murders than ever before. But this isn’t news, now, is it? Gotham City has always been this cruel. The only difference between crime 30 years ago & today’s crime is the creativity. People are blowing places up in the city, almost as though they are taking notes from the Taliban. Some criminals even take on their own personas, dressing up in costumes, but plotting even more diabolical plans than the man before him. Someone must do something about this, ladies & gentlemen.” Cobblepot glanced towards Mayor Sharp, who smiled back at him. “Because some people aren’t.”

In one swift motion, Cobblepot removed a pistol from inside of his coat & shot the Mayor in the face. The whole moment felt frozen, but loud cries echoed throughout the streets. Dick rose up, seeing the Mayor’s body crumble down onto the ground. “I’m moving in!” Dick cried.

 _“No!”_ Batman called. _“Not yet!”_

Dick stepped to the edge of the roof, but didn’t move any further. He waited for his cue to make his move. “What’s the plan?” Dick asked.

Batman was silent for a few moments. _“Cobblepot is only the opening act,”_ he explained.

Dick glanced down & saw Nolan Drake, suddenly changed into a tuxedo, walking across the stage towards Cobblepot from the opposite end. “Who will clean up this city, Mr. Cobblepot?” Drake called out in an obnoxious manner. Drake glanced down at the Mayor’s dead body, & rolled his eyes in disgust. Nolan pushed the dead body off of the stage with his foot, rolling it over the edge & under the feet of civilians.

Cobblepot turned to the audience. “Everyone, calm yourselves, otherwise I’ll be forced to call upon my shooters up on the rooftops!”

The audience grew to a short murmur. Nolan Drake’s face shifted from an annoyed face to a truly angry face. He snatched the pistol from Cobblepot’s hand & fired off into the sky several times. “Everyone pay attention!”

Suddenly, the city grew silent.

Dick stared at the scene before him. It was genuinely frightening to see Nolan take that much control over innocent people like that. There was a raw power that he emitted from himself that said he was the man to be reckoned with. It scared Dick. It was one thing to have this effect on young boys in the Gotham City underground. It was another to have this effect on everyone else.

Nolan Drake sighed to himself. “What savages, you are,” he said softly. Drake glanced to Cobblepot. “Aren’t they?” He stepped up towards the microphone & cleared his throat. “I apologize, fellow Gothamites. I didn’t mean to frighten you all. My name is Nolan Drake, & I myself am a fellow concerned citizen of Gotham City, just like the rest of you.”

Dick stared down into the audience from the rooftop. There was a subtle murmur arising in the crowd again. People were confused.

“I have seen the horrors that you all have seen for years,” Nolan began. “I’ve seen them here, in these very streets, just like the rest of you. We have suffered too much pain. Sure, Mr. Cobblepot here has had his share of loss in his property, but what about those of you all who lost so much more? Some have lost homes. Some of you have lost families, some of you have lost loved ones. Some of you have lost your innocence, & yourselves along with that. Some of us have lost our souls.

“I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I, myself, am so fucking tired of all of it, right? The crime, the corruption, the uprisings of destruction that our city sees day after day, night after night. Enough is enough. Enough bloodshed. Mayor Sharp is right. Someone needs to do something about the damage done to Gotham, & someone needs to do it soon. Someone needs to fix our city. Our home has become this hellish prison, but, if you are all willing to join me, we can make this hell into a home once again.”

With that, dozens of sudden chants came from all around the city block, from the buildings to within the crowd. Drake’s followers chanted, “Hell is home!”

Enough people joined in to make the entire city block roar with the montra. Chills ran down Dick’s spine. He was truly afraid now. Dick raised his hand to his earpiece. “Can I make my move now?”

 _“Not yet,”_ Batman said. _“Keep a lookout for the gas, Robin. I’m going to search the premises for Gordon. Be careful.”_

Dick nodded. “You too,” then focused back down in the crowd. The chanting kept its pace, staying at the same volume without slowing down. Dick turned to the stage, where Cobblepot seemed to be talking to Nolan. The two of them seemed to be having some sort of a disagreement. Dick crawled towards the left of the building to get a clearer sight of the discussion.

As Dick peered closely at the two, but couldn’t hear them over the loud roars of Drake’s followers. Dick glanced at the crowd, where civilians began to look nervous. However, as Dick traced his eyes around the block, there was several mercenaries posted along the streets & in buildings overlooking the block as well. The situation had changed drastically.

“Batman, there are shooters all across the block! I repeat, they have marksmen all around the city block. These men can shoot at any second!” Dick cried.

After a few brief moments, Bruce came in on the coms. _“Don’t worry about them. I’ve got it.”_

Dick was about to ask for clarification when suddenly another gunshot rang down below. Dick turned his head quickly & saw Oswald Cobblepot’s body fall to the ground, with Nolan standing over the crime lord’s dead body. Dick watched Nolan’s arm tense up, then slowly drop down to his side. Nolan’s body seemed to be twitching, although Dick was unsure from the distance. Suddenly, Drake let out a loud scream of frustration. Nolan grabbed the microphone & brought it up close towards himself. “Why are people so difficult, huh?”

Dick moved closer towards the edge of the rooftop when he noticed someone within the crowd moving towards the stage. People parted their way for the person, & finally, they emerged from the crowd towards the front of the stage. A young boy stood below Nolan Drake in front of the audience. “Nolan,” the boy said softly.

Dick strained his eyes to see who the child was. Suddenly, it hit him. The boy at Gotham City Academy. The boy that Nolan picked up from school that day. It was him.

Nolan looked down at the boy. His face broke in utter shame. “Tim...Timmy,” Nolan stuttered. “Hey, buddy.”

“Nolan, why are you doing this?” Tim asked.

Nolan stepped close to answer, when suddenly a voice called out from within the crowd. “Tim!” cried a man. After more people stepped aside, Nolan stepped back from the edge of the stage, away from the man who emerged. It was an older man in a wheelchair. He wheeled up to Tim & placed a hand on his shoulder. “Nolan,” the man said through a shaky voice.

Nolan’s face twitched. He struggled to give a grin, but it came out as more of disgust. “Jack,” Nolan spat back.

Jack shook his head. His eyes were watering up. “Nolan, I never thought I’d see you again.”

Nolan’s hands grew tight, & clenched into fists. He looked away from Jack, avoiding eye contact. Jack spoke again. “What have you done, son?” he asked.

Nolan slowly gestured towards everyone in front of him. “I’m making everyone listen, Jack. For once, they’re going to listen.”

“Nolan, your mother & I always listened. You know-”

“No! You didn’t!” Nolan cried. “You guys were too busy on your fancy business trips to even realize I was alive, & look where it got us! Mom died, & you lost your legs, & I...” Nolan’s voice suddenly trailed off. His voice grew shaky. “I lost myself, man,” he said weakly.

Jack nodded. “I know, son. And I’m so sorry.”

Nolan shook his head, scoffing. “No, man, you DON’T fucking know. You don’t know what it was like for me, when it happened, & they took me, & they ruined all of us!”

“Nolan, listen!” Jack pleaded.

“Get this son of a bitch out of here!” Nolan called out to no one in particular.

Suddenly, four mercenaries from each side of Jack came towards him & hoisted the man up from the wheelchair. All eight struggled from his flailing of his arms, but eventually got him inside one of the nearby buildings. Tim chased after them, crying out to his father. Tim suddenly turned towards the stage & raced onto it, tackling Nolan. Nolan stumbled, but kept his stance on the ground. Nolan hoisted Tim up by his arms & growled something at the boy. By the cries of the audience, Dick couldn’t hear what was being said. One man raced on stage to save Tim, but was quickly shot by a sniper across the block.

Dick cursed to himself & traced the laser eyesight towards the gun, & the shooter behind it. He was masked & standing by a window in a building across from where Dick stood. Dick reached for his blades & in one swift motion, tossed one across the entire city block. It managed to nip the shooter on the head, knocking him unconscious.

Dick then stepped onto the edge & quickly drew out his grapple gun. He aimed & shot the grappling hook across towards & let the hook reel Dick outward. As Dick flew above the stage, he felt the breeze brush against his skin like a cool blast of wind. He then released the grappling hook, falling down towards the stage. He rolled across, breaking his fall, & stood upright on his feet, then turned towards Nolan.

Nolan turned towards Dick & set Tim down. As the two stared off at each other, the audience gasped in awe. “Dammit, you again?” Nolan grunted.

“Kid, run!” Dick called out to Tim. The boy sprinted off stage, into the crowd, & just as he got out of sight, Nolan pointed his pistol at Dick & shot straight into his chest.

Dick fell back onto the ground, gasping for air. He felt as though he was losing the ability to breathe. His chest felt as though it had collapsed on him. He struggled to sit upright, & dropped back down onto the floor.

 _“Robin, breathe,”_ Batman spoke in Dick’s ear. _“Take deep breathes. Focus on the breathing. Let the air slowly enter, then slowly exhale. Slow, deep breathes. Let yourself become whole again.”_

Dick struggled to grasp Bruce’s directions. He could only hear the faint cries of the audience, drowned out by several gunshots & the hollerings of a madman. Dick was sure this was the end. He may very well die here, along with everyone else tonight.

Dick wished he could see Barbara one last time. He wanted to do so much with her once everything was over. But now, he might not ever get the chance. Maybe...he could see Cheyenne finally.

Cheyenne...who is gone because of John Constantine. No...because of Nolan Drake. Suddenly Dick was reminded why he brought himself the courage to do this in the first place. He was going to kill Nolan Drake for Cheyenne. All for Cheyenne.

Dick gasped a sudden large breath of air. He could suddenly breathe again. He sat up & saw Nolan standing with a young scientist. The scientist had a white lab coat on with the Cadmus symbol on his breast pocket. The scientist had glasses & shaggy brown hair. He looked frightened.

“Ladies & Gentlemen,” Nolan began in a loud, almost screaming voice. “This is Dr. Jonathon Crane. Dr. Crane has been kind enough to provide me in an exclusive Cadmus product that they have been engineering at their secret facilities for what they call ‘international warfare!’ How exciting is that?” Nolan turned to Dr. Crane. “Isn’t that right, Jonathon?”

Jonathon nodded in shuddered movements. Drake sighed. “Alright, buddy, now, explain to the kind people what it is you’ve given me.”

“Um...well,” Jonathon stuttered. “It, uh, it’s a neurotoxin that we initially designed for mass attacks against hostile forces in foreign countries. It would keep us from deploying soldiers into the field, while also, uh, fighting the good fight.”

Drake let out a hysterical laugh. “Hear that guys? ‘Fighting the good fight!’ That’s funny, fighting terrorists with this weapon on foreign soil when the attacks are happening HERE, in OUR country. It’s almost as though it’s an ongoing retaliation game, with no actual conclusion or solution for what goes on here at home!” Nolan turned to Jonathon & patted his back, harder than he should’ve. “Go on, slugger!”

“Uh, okay, well...the neurotoxin was engineered by a lot of people, but the concept of it was formulated by myself. It essentially is a nerve agent that alters one’s nervous system one it enters the human body. It affects the neurons in the brain to stimulate the amygdala, or the emotion & decision making part of the brain. It introduces stressors to the person’s psyche, creating a false sense of danger.”

Nolan turned to Jonathon. “In English, Doc?”

Jonathon cleared his throat. “It’s a fear gas. It makes you experience your worst fear.”

Nolan grinned. “How fitting,” he said softly. He turned to Jonathon, lifted his gun up, aimed at the doctor, then shot the man in the head. The blood sprayed from the opposite end of his skull, & Jonathon Crane crumpled towards the ground, spilling blood across the stage. Dick gasped softly.

“For too long, this city has been buried again & again in filth. We bathe in our family’s blood. We are no good to each other this way. We may as well not even exist! But we can be fixed! I can fix us! But in order for you to allow me to save this city, you have to look in the mirror & see what I see. See the monsters that we REALLY are!”

Suddenly, a green gas hissed out from underneath the stage & out of the buildings surrounding the city block. The nerve agent was being released from every angle. How could this have been stopped?

 _“Robin, Gordon is here,”_ Batman spoke on the earpiece. _“He’s going to deactivate the gas on the West side of the street. Take out the ones on the East.”_

“No!” Dick called. “I’m going for Drake!” Before Bruce could respond, Dick stood up & charged at Nolan like a bull. Nolan turned around &, before he could get a proper aim with his gun, Dick knocked Nolan off of the side of the stage.

Dick stood on the edge of the stage, glancing at the audience. Drake’s mercenaries & the citizens of Gotham were all frantically screaming. Their cries were crazed & desperate. They looked so helpless, it frightened Dick. Suddenly, he let out a cough. Dick felt a slight nauseation. The gas was entering his system.

Dick held his cape over his nose & scanned the area. Everyone was affected by the gas. He had to keep his composure & withstand the effects. Everything depended on him doing so.

Suddenly, a group of armed men wearing gas masks bursted from one of the abandoned buildings to the side. They each ran towards the citizens, attacking them one by one. They fought back, delusional from the effects of the fear gas. One attacked Jason, but, Jason managed to fight the man off. After a few moments, one approached Dick & struck him with his fist.

Dick dropped his cape & side stepped, avoiding the blow. Dick removed his staff from his back & swung it at the goon’s head, knocking him down. Dick swung the staff down against the man’s stomach once more for good measure, then reached down & removed the gas mask from the man. Just as he was about to put on the mask, Nolan charged Dick & ran, then tossed him to the side. Dick hit his back against the edge of the stage. He saw the gas mask he dropped, & watched as Nolan picked it up & put it on himself. Dick couldn’t see it, but he knew Nolan was grinning under that mask.

Nolan charged at Dick once more, but Dick’s reflexes were quicker. He pressed his hands against the edge of the stage & flipped backwards, onto the stage. Nolan hit himself against the stage, but quickly climbed up onto it & slowly approached Dick.

“You just don’t quit, do you, kid?” Nolan grunted from underneath the gas mask.

Dick let out a heavy cough & held his staff firmly. He waited for Nolan to make the first move.

Just as Nolan was about to take the first step, a Batarang shot from above down into Nolan’s shoulder. Nolan gasped in pain & clung to his arm. Dick turned quickly to see the Batman, floating downward from the rooftops into the crowd to take on the masked thugs. Dick felt a faint smirk grow across his face.

Dick took advantage of the opportunity. He charged at Nolan, who struggled to remove the blade from his shoulder. Dick kicked Nolan in his chest, sending him flying across the stage & then leaped onto him. Dick grabbed the Batarang in his arm & twisted it. “Is this what you want?” Dick called out. “Let me help you, Nolan!”

Dick dug the blade deeper into Nolan’s flesh. Nolan’s cries rang in Dick’s ears as blood oozed from the flesh. Suddenly, Nolan struck Dick’s head with his own, headbutting Dick off of him. The blow left Dick with a sharp pain in his head. Nolan yanked the blade out of his arm & rose up, swinging the blade at Dick. Dick dodged each swing Nolan did, but he was too fast. Dick couldn’t get a chance to counter it. Nolan managed to get one good strike in, slashing Dick’s chest. The wound was deep enough for blood to drip from his suit. Dick hissed at the pain.

Nolan was about to strike once more, when a red arrow shot across the stage, into the podium near the two. Both glanced at the arrow, then over to the side. A few yards away was a man standing over a car, clothed in a red armor with a red hood over his head. He wore a red mask over his eyes, similar to Dick’s. He removed his hood, & Dick recognized the archer.

 _“Sent you some help, Robin,”_ Harper Row’s voice chimed in suddenly in his earpiece.

Dick grinned. “Thanks, Bluebird,” he said to himself.

Suddenly, two large light beams, purple & green, emerged from the sky. The sped down into the city block & hovered over the buildings. Dick noticed two floating people within the rays of light. He saw Rachel & Kori. They began to shoot energy beams into the buildings, destroying the gas canisters.

Down below, behind Roy, Dick could see Victor fighting the gas masked men, fighting with ease as his robotic strength easily outnumbered the men. Then, with a swift motion, a green bird swooped down past Victor, then transformed into Logan, flying through the air with his leg outstretched, kicking down a masked thug. Dick watched as the two worked together to fight off the men circling Roy, as Roy shot arrows into enemies from afar.

Dick felt his smile grow even larger when he saw Connor, running back & forth, defending injured citizens from the goons & thugs. He picked up several grown adults at once over his shoulder, then walked them across the street towards Jim Gordon & his team of officers, who were all attempting to make their way into the block without being attacked. Next to Jim was Barbara, wrapped in a blanket. She must’ve been checked out by a medic. But...she was safe.

Dick heard Nolan groan as he removed his gas mask. “Robots & green people? I must be losing it to this gas,” he joked.

Dick stared at Nolan, who had a crazed grin on his face. He lunged at Dick once more before a loud, booming voice caught everyone’s attention. “Hey, Drake!”

Nolan turned around & looked up above at the rooftop of City Hall, directly above the stage. Dick turned & noticed that he caught the entire city’s attention. Dick glanced up & struggled to see the man, but recognized the voice. It was Rodrick.

“You’re trying to save us?” Rodrick called out. “We’re passed being saved. You turned us into monsters, Nolan. You made your own hell, & made US suffer with you. And now, I can’t even face my own family anymore.” Dick felt his heart being tugged at. He thought of Rodrick’s little sister. Dick noticed Rodrick bringing up a small egged shaped object to his mouth & ripping something off with his teeth. It was a grenade. “I can’t face them,” Rodrick started, “But I can do some good.” Rodrick extended his arm. “Hell is home, right?”

With that, Rodrick stepped off of the roof of City Hall, with a live grenade in his hand. Suddenly, there was a large explosion, & everything went dark once more.

* * *

Dick woke up underneath metal plates & concrete blocks. His body was in agonizing pain. Dick struggled to stand up, but forced his body to comply. His ears rang for a brief moment, but when his hearing came back, the sounds became loud cries & gunshots. Dick turned & stared at the scene in front of him. The city was still rampant with chaos. Dick turned to the broken stage to see that only the stage had been damaged. Dick couldn’t find Rodrick’s body. He died, sacrificing himself for as a martyr...or, at least, that’s how Dick felt he wanted to be remembered. Dick knew the truth; Rodrick was ashamed of what he had done & of who he had become, letting his family remember him as a good person who cared about family, & not as the man who had let them become hostages.

Dick limped closer to the broken down scene & noticed the gas canisters underneath the stage were broken as well, but...Dick couldn’t find Nolan.

Dick’s heart skipped a sudden beat in panicked fear. Where the hell was he? He didn’t survive the blast...did he? Well, Dick survived…& it wasn’t his first time having been blown up by Rodrick.

Neither was it Nolan’s first time.

Dick scanned the area frantically when he caught sight of a man limping down an alleyway. It was him.

Dick limped passed the chaotic & destructive scene, & followed Nolan Drake into the shadows.


	40. The Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick is forced to make a difficult choice that challenges is moral beliefs.

The pain Dick had endured from the moment he watched his family die, to the overwhelming loss of those he loved, & the deafening guilt of the monster he had become all took part in shaping him into the man he was tonight. Everything he had suffered through, from his departure from God in the Orphanage to his journey into the shadows of the Underground, & his rise back into the world, made him stronger. Love came back to him, friendships blossomed, & a purpose was suddenly clear to him. Dick was meant to do this. He was meant to save Gotham City from Nolan Drake.

Dick Grayson was only a few feet behind the bastard.

Dick’s leg throbbed. It was the same leg he had injured in his first encounter with Nolan that ended in a fiery escape. He realized that Dick was having terrible luck with that limb. Dick shrugged the pain off. He continued to follow Drake, who was also limping away.

Dick felt his fists clench. He had been following Drake for a few blocks, now. In silence. It was silly & pointless to keep playing this cat & mouse game. Dick had to end this. Now.

Dick leaped onto Nolan’s back, pushing him onto the ground face first. His head collided with the concrete, but not before his nose cracked against the solid ground. Blood spilled from under Nolan’s face, but his back still heaved heavy breaths. Dick struggled to flip his body around, & eventually fell on top of Nolan’s chest as his weak leg gave up.

Nolan let out a few bloody coughs, spraying across Dick’s face. Dick wiped his eyes, only to feel his sturdy face mask crumble in his hand. One half of it was gone.

Nolan let out a laugh. “What are you going to do, kid?” he croaked.

Dick felt his face grow numb. His eye twitched. “Shut up,” Dick whispered.

Nolan smiled, revealing his bloody mouth. “Are you going to kill me, boy?”

Dick raised his fist & thrust it down against Nolan’s face. “This is for abandoning Tim, & killing all of those children at the Academy!”

Another punch.

“This is for those you tortured in the Gotham City Underground & enslaved!”

Blood sprayed.

“Roderick Farmer, & his family!”

Drake’s nose cracked again, even more.

“And for crushing Jason Todd’s hopes for a better world!”

Dick threw one last punch into Nolan before lifting his head up by his collar. He brought it close to Dick’s face. He wanted to see Nolan’s spirit weaken with every blow to his head.

Dick threw another punch into Nolan’s face, bruising his fist. “This is for what you did to Cullen Row!”

Dick swung his arm back, sending a ferocious punch into Nolan’s jaw. “This for kidnapping Barbara Gordon!”

Nolan’s head began to dangle over Dick’s grip. He was losing consciousness.

Dick reached over his back for his staff. He broke off one half of it, wielding it in his hand for a moment. It felt like the nightstick that he had first used to fight against Nolan. It felt fitting.

Nolan began to stir again. Dick stood up, over Nolan’s crippled body, & raised his arms up high. “This is for Cheyenne Freemont.”

Dick brought the stick down against Nolan’s face, splattering blood across Dick’s face. Dick felt his arm hang low as he felt his own energy being drained from himself. He placed the nightstick on his back & turned to walk away. As he stepped away, he felt his feet suddenly weighed a hundred pounds. He couldn’t let himself get far. He...didn’t want to get far.

Dick turned back to Nolan’s body. Groans came from the slaughtered man. He was alive, but down for good. But...he was alive.

Dick knew he should turn away right now. He should walk away while he still had the chance. He should leave Nolan Drake here to die, & then it would all be over, right? It would solve everything, right?

But Dick wanted to be the one to kill Nolan Drake.

Before Dick could even take a moment to consider his options, he found himself walking back over to Nolan Drake’s body. Nolan had began reaching for something under his back. He removed a gun from his waistband & weakly held it up at Dick. Dick yanked the gun from Nolan’s bloody hand, & held the weapon in his own hand. He raised his arm out, pointing the gun at Nolan.

Nolan Drake smiled, revealing a blood-filled mouth. “Look at you. What a big boy.”

“You thought you were saving this city. You thought you were riding this city of its scum. You’re the scum, Nolan. Terrorizing this city, killing innocent people. You’re the one who’s ruining this city. You’re what’s wrong with us!” Dick felt his chest grow heavy & his body tingle with numbness. He felt his hands sweat underneath his gloves.

Nolan stared at the barrel of the gun, then back up at Dick. “Then what are you waiting for, hero? Pull the trigger.”

“Stop,” called a low voice from behind Dick. Startled, Dick spun around, pointing the gun at the Batman. The ominous silhouette of the giant Bat frightened Dick for a moment. But...he remembered he was just a man.

“Bruce, I have to,” Dick whispered in a shaky voice.

The Batman approached Dick, close enough for Bruce to speak in his normal voice. “You can’t. Killing him won’t solve anything.”

“Letting him live will just be giving him another chance to kill again!”

“And killing him will leave you no better than he is!” Bruce spat. “All of the men who have killed, just like him, all of them will be proven right if we sink down to their level.”

Dick shook his head & turned back to Nolan, & pointed the gun at his head. “It’s one life for the dozens that he stole.”

After a brief moment, Bruce spoke. “It won’t back Cheyenne,” he said softly.

Dick felt his face twitch. He turned back to Bruce. “Sometimes, we need to kill the right person,” Dick said, feeling a sudden sense of deja vu.

Bruce shook his head. “This isn’t justice. This is vengeance. Don’t become Nolan Drake.”

“Yeah, don’t become me!” Nolan Drake suddenly spat from the ground.

Dick spun back around, crawling straight onto Nolan’s body once more, crushing his broken ribs. “I swear to god, I will blow your fucking brains out!”

Nolan let out a maniacal laugh, one that genuinely sent chills down Dick’s spine. “Kill me. Become like me. Become as cruel as this city has been to you & me. Let it consume you. Once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out.”

Dick let the words sink in. _“Once you let the darkness inside, it never comes out.”_ Would Dick be able to have the stronger willpower to let Nolan Drake live?

“I finally figured it out,” Nolan said softly. Dick glanced back down at Nolan. “It makes sense now. Your way around a nightstick...your voice...the way you whined about those worthless pieces of shit I killed over the last few months...but what gave it away was the way you move. The way you flipped & flew through the air. I’ve only seen those moves in one person.”

Dick’s heart skipped a beat. “I was wondering if I’d see you again, Robin. It is Robin, isn’t it? I mean...according to that sweet old lady that you’ve kept a secret from us down in the Underground, you loved robins. You played with them when you were younger, didn’t you? Cheyenne knew too, am I right? At least, that’s what the old lady said.”

Dick roared a loud scream & fired the gun over & over again, letting the boom of the barrel echo through the alleyway. He fired the gun until the gun was empty, & then threw it at Nolan Drake’s body.

“Dick!” Bruce called as Dick stormed off, stepping over Nolan’s frightened body. Dick shot the bullets near his head. He didn’t care if he had actually missed or not. By the sound of Nolan’s shuddering, he missed.

* * *

 

Dick rushed through the streets & found himself walking across the street of City Hall. All of the hostiles had been taken down & apprehended. The GCPD was tending to the scene, administrating civilians. Conner, Roy, & Kori were working alongside the police, helping. The others must have fled the scene before many people noticed them. Dick was about to ignore everything when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder.

Dick spun around to find Barbara, standing in front of him, wrapped in a blanket.

“Hey,” she said with a weak smile.

Dick’s eyes widened at the sudden concern for Barbara. “Oh my gosh, I am SO sorry for not checking up on you earlier! Are you alright? Did you get hurt? Did you make it out okay?”

Barbara’s weak smile stretched to a bigger & more heartfelt smile. She let out a soft laugh. “I’m okay, thanks.”

Dick nodded. “Okay, good. Because, I mean, I was worried. I wanted to make sure you got to Detective Gordon & that he took care of you.”

Barbara nodded. “Well, yeah, I did, thanks to you.” Her smile made Dick forget about all that had gone wrong for the night. “You know, something about you...reminds me of someone I know.”

Dick raised an eyebrow, pretending to be clueless. “What?”

Barbara shrugged. “I’m not sure. It doesn’t matter. I was gonna say that you remind me of my boyfriend, but I was wrong. He’s definitely shorter than you.”

Dick tried hard to conceal his sudden annoyance, but apparently he didn’t conceal it well. Barbara’s smirk rose. “Well,” she started. “Hope I see you around, Boy Wonder.” Barbara leaned in to kiss Dick, & in that instant, his chest’s coldness was lit up with light. Barbara pulled away, but stayed close enough to look Dick in his masked eyes. “Don’t worry, my boyfriend doesn’t need to know.”

Dick watched Barbara walk away & felt a rush of emotions. He was happy to see Barbara was okay, but...was confused about whether she had figured out that he was Robin. And if she hadn’t...then did she just cheat on him with Robin...or...with himself?

It didn’t matter. The moment passed. He needed to go find someone.


	41. Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick visits someone from his past one last time.

Dick Grayson walked through the lobby & made his way to the receptionist’s desk. He managed to make a quick stop at the Manor before quickly leaving, not letting himself be stopped by either Alfred or Bruce. Dick changed out of his tattered Robin suit to wear, well, appropriate clothing for the streets of Gotham.

As he approached the desk, he felt his palms grow sweaty. He was nervous. Nervous & frightened. He had never felt this frightened for anything in his life. At least, he didn’t think so. The past few months had been hell for Dick, but...after tonight, he wasn’t sure if he could even take any more.

“How may I help you?” asked the nice older woman at the receptionist’s desk.

Dick cleared his throat. “Um...yes, I’m here to visit my grandmother.”

The receptionist nodded. “Alright, what is your grandmother’s name?”

Dick bit his lip. “Louise Baxter.”

The receptionist began typing the name up in her computer system. After a few moments, she glanced back between the computer screen to Dick. “ _ Dammit,”  _ Dick cursed to himself. Had he set off a red flag in their system?

The receptionist slid a clipboard towards Dick. “Sign there, sir. I’ll have someone escort you in a moment.”

Dick nodded. He signed under “Richard Grayson” so no one would immediately trace it back to him. As he signed, he took a few moments to see if he recognized any other names on the visitor list. After scanning the clipboard for a few seconds too long, a nurse cleared her throat. Dick glanced up at her & saw her nod down the hall, telling him to follow her. Dick set the clipboard down & followed the nurse.

He followed her a few doors down the hall, & stopped in front of one alongside the nurse. “Okay,” the nurse said. “Ms. Baxter is in there right now. She’s awake for sure. She loves catching the news right before bed.”

Dick nodded. The nurse opened the door & poked her head in. “Ms. Baxter! Guess what! Your grandson is here to visit you! Isn’t that sweet?” The nurse opened the door wider to let Dick in, & then left him.

Dick stared at the elderly woman who lay in the bed across from the large TV. The room was set up as a nice bedroom, with furniture & flowers & paintings. The only unsettling aspect of the room was the amount of prescription medication bottles that were around her nightstand.

Dick looked at the old lady, who stared back at him. She had long, gray hair with a white sleeping blouse on. She was tucked in comfortably in her bed, & looked so peaceful. Dick almost envied her as his mind traced back to his physical pain that he endured.

“Grandson?” the old woman said softly. “She must be mistaken.”

Dick shrugged. “She must’ve meant Grayson,” he said, hoping that she’d put the pieces together.

The elderly woman stared at Dick for a moment, then turned back to the TV. The news was on. They were doing a live coverage of the aftermath at City Hall. She paid no attention to Dick. She didn’t recognize him.

Dick sighed. He walked over to a chair that was beside her bed & sat in it. He laid his face against his fist, watching her stare at the TV screen. She was so calm. So...well. He thought that something would have happened to her, & the very idea that she wouldn’t be ok scared him to death, but...her not remembering him...Dick felt that her not remembering him would hurt him even more.

Dick waited. He glanced up at the TV. There was amatuer video footage caught of Robin fighting off Nolan Drake. The camera panned passed Roy, passed Logan, & passed Victor, all to get a quick glimpse of the Batman. Then the video panned back to Robin. Dick wasn’t sure how he felt about the footage. The caption read “Teenage Vigilantes: Gotham’s Next Generation of  Guardian Angels?”

“Ah, Grayson!” the woman called out suddenly, causing her shaky voice to crack, leading to a cough. She then looked back at Dick, who felt his eyes wide open & slightly watery. “Dicky?” croaked the elderly woman.

Dick looked up, shocked. “Mother Louise,” he gasped softly.

Mother Louise smiled weakly. She raised her hand to Dick’s cheek & touched him softly. “Richard...it has been too long,” she said. “How are you?”

Dick smiled. “Great, Mother. Everything is great, now.”

Louise nodded. “This is good. This is good.”

Dick stammered. “I...I, uh...I have so many things I want to tell you.”

“Go ahead,” Louise breathed.

Dick sighed. “I don’t know where to start. I’ve been gone for so long. I’ve seen some rough things, horrible things. I’ve done unspeakable things, &...I don’t know. I don’t think I can forgive myself.” Dick looked up. “I think I’m going to hell, Mother Louise.”

Louise let out a soft laugh. “I know, Dick,” she said. “But hell will not take you away.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

Louise shook her head. “You were born as a talented young man who could fly. God took your parents away. But never for one second did I see you as an orphan. Because I saw the angel within you. I saw the good in you. You were a kind young boy. You were a loving & caring & selfless young boy. You took care of those you loved after you lost your parents. You took nobody for granted after that. That night that God took your parents away, he left you here because he knew you would become someone important. Something important.”

Dick smiled. “Wow,” he said softly.

Louise nodded. “The Boy Wonder, Dicky. That is what they called you. Just a name. But when I saw you call that bird over to Cheyenne & make her smile when she had hurt her knee playing, I knew you were so much more. That robin was God’s way of telling me, ‘Yes, Louise, you were right to save this boy.’”

Dick shook his head. “But...I’m not angel. I’ve done things, Mother Louise. You know what I did that night I left. I haven’t gotten any better. I have too much weighing down on me. I’ve committed too many sins to be an angel.”

Mother Louise nodded. “Yes, you are right,” she started. “You will stand before God on Judgement Day, & he will weigh your good deeds against your sins. However, the amount of good you have done throughout your life will no doubt outweigh your sins. Your sins will not come close to the good in you.”

Dick bit his lip. “I hope so,” he whispered.

Louise smirked softly. She glanced to the TV. The news was still covering the story over the attack on City Hall.  “The Batman,” she started. “Some call him the Dark Knight.”

Dick nodded. She continued. “He’s truly dark. He has a darkness about him. Something that even the cruelest & most evil fear. He saves us, yes. This is true. But he does not inspire hope. He is a hero, yes. But I do not know if he is heroic. He is just an angry man, whoever he is. He is a broken man who breaks other men. But nevertheless, he is our city’s knight. But that...young man in the red & yellow suit. He is a striking young man. Quite limber. He flowed through the air like a bird. He reminded me of someone…”

Dick stared at Louise, unsure of what to say. He was shocked. Did she know?

Louise smiled. “That young man, that...Robin. He is saving this city, saving his people. He is inspiring hope & doing what no one else is selfless enough to do. He is not breaking men. He is fixing this city. He is truly a hero. Even more than that...he is our city’s knight in shining armor. No. He is our city’s guardian angel. And whoever that young man is...I can say for certain that I am so very proud of him. And wherever his mother & father may be...I know they see him, doing what he is doing for this city. ”

Dick began to cry small tears. He did his best not to reveal his tears, but they came anyway. He bent down to hug Mother Louise. She rubbed Dick’s back & squeezed him tight, calming him. “It’s alright, Richard,” she said. “You’re a good boy.”

Dick let out a soft laugh underneath his cries. “I’m not a boy anymore, Mother Louise.”

Louise laughed. “Right. You’re right. You’re a good man, Richard Grayson. Never forget that.”

She pulled away. She patted Dick’s cheek & shooed him with her thin hand. “Now go, boy. Go be the man this city needs...Robin.”


	42. The League

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick is brought into something bigger than he had ever hoped to be prepared for.

Dick Grayson stepped up through the metallic steps, & walked into the chrome elevator shaft. He surveyed the futuristic elevator & swallowed his saliva. He was terrified.

After he had ensured that Mother Louise was alright & that Nolan Drake was apprehended, things sort of went back to normal in Gotham City. Dick was able to enroll in another school, studying alongside Barbara Gordon. Barbara had begun to feel more open with Dick, & Dick was able to be open with her as well. They had began to trust each other more, & he felt genuinely loved for once. He was in love with Barbara, & it was the best thing ever.

Dick knew that she probably had some idea that he was Robin at night, fighting crime alongside the Batman, but she never brought it up. It was never really something that they felt the need to acknowledge. Whenever he said that he would be busy for a night, however, Barbara would always have this sad look on her face. He knew that she knew that he was never with another girl, but the fact that he was sneaking out every night to put his life in danger was hard for her. Dick could see it in her eyes. But someone had to.

Dick had also established a respectful relationship with her father, Detective Jim Gordon. Jim had done his best to keep Dick’s name out of the reports on Nolan Drake’s crimes, & Dick made sure that Jim knew he was appreciative of that. He would send Jim food delivery at work without question, & he would drop his daughter off at home after school, & on nights where Barbara wanted to be with Dick, he would make sure that he & Barbara were at her house with Jim & spent quality time together. Sometimes, Dick would even leave during the evening to “run an errand,” but really wanted Barbara & Jim to still spend their quality father/daughter time together.

For Dick & his own as the Robin, he felt that he was doing good work with Bruce. The two of them trained more, fought alongside each other more often, & together, they made Gotham a little bit safer since the attack on City Hall. Bruce had told Dick that he was ready.

That’s when Dick was told to leave town. Bruce had only given him an address, which was somewhere out in Washington D.C. Bruce had left early that morning, leaving Dick a message that gave him directions to an air strip. At the air strip was a private jet that belonged to Wayne Industries. There, the pilot escorted Dick on the plane & flew him to D.C. rather quickly. After that, a black Lincoln, similar to the one that Dick first arrived in when meeting Bruce for the first time, was waiting for him again. Dick stepped inside, hoping to find Alfred at the wheel. Instead, it was a younger driver that he did not recognize. The driver drove Dick all the way through D.C., passing the White House. Dick wanted a brief moment to take in the scenery, but it seemed that he was supposed to be rushing.

Finally, the car dropped Dick off in front of an abandoned museum. It was deserted, but it seemed as though it was partially under construction. Dick was unsure by the mixture of debris, police tapings, & trash. Dick knew other than to question Bruce, though. This was most likely the right spot.

After walking up the steps of the abandoned museum, Dick stepped inside & was surprised of the scenery within.

The interior of the museum was entirely polished & constructed as a elegant exhibit. The hall was surrounded with large monuments & statues of men & women, but they were all armored & clothed in strange costumes with emblems stamped across their chests & masks over their eyes. They...looked like tacky versions of vigilantes. Sort of like…

A small metal orb floated towards Dick. It startled Dick, but after a brief moment, he realized that the orb was not hostile.

A red light began to glow within the orb, & a humming sound buzzed as it approached Dick.  _ “Greetings, Robin,” _ the robotic orb spoke in a monotone voice.  _ “Please follow me.” _

Dick raised an eyebrow. The orb referred to him as Robin. Was he now getting acknowledged as the Batman’s sidekick Robin? Dick disregarded the thought & followed the orb, which floated down the hall into a smaller corridor.

At the end of the corridor was the elevator that Dick had now entered. Dick had no idea where the elevator would take him, but he knew he had to. 

Suddenly, chrome doors shut behind Dick & the elevator began to hum. Dick could feel the elevator rising upwards, but he was unsure how fast he actually was going. As Dick stared at the blank chrome wall, he felt a sudden warm sensation on his back. Dick turned around & saw space. He saw the Earth down below him, & he saw the bright Sun shining over the horizon of the edge of the world. Dick gasped at the sudden sensation of vertigo. The chrome elevator had been shooting up above the actual atmosphere of the world. He was actually traveling in space.

Dick suddenly felt as though he was running out of air. He lost the ability to breathe properly. What was happening? Was he being deprived of his oxygen? What the hell was going on?

Finally, the chrome elevator slowed its hum, & Dick felt a sort of ease in his body. The chrome doors in front of him started to open slowly, revealing a brightly lit hall leading down towards a doorway. In the middle of the white hall was Batman, standing between Dick & the door. In his hands was the Robin armor.

“Robin,” Bruce called in his low, hoarse disguise of a voice.

Dick scoffed. “What the hell is all this?”

Bruce shook his head. Dick was unable to read his stern, blank facial expressions underneath his Batman mask. “I’ll explain soon. Please, suit up.”

Dick scratched his head, then pointed at the door at the end of the hall. “What criminal mastermind is hiding behind that door in space?”

The Batman slowly approached Dick, extending the armor outward to him once more. He wasn’t going to speak until Dick put the suit on.

Dick sighed & took the armor from Bruce, putting the tight padded bottoms on first, then placing the bulletproof armor over his chest, then adding the cape over his shoulders, then finally, placing the face mask over his face. Dick felt a slight sense of pride when he wore the suit. He was proud to be Robin.

Dick looked up at Batman. “Okay, I’m ready,” he said.

Batman nodded & began walking towards the door, letting Dick follow behind him. The two walked through the doors at the end of the hall, opening up into a wide open space. At the center of this space was a large dashboard, almost as though it was Bruce’s supercomputer in his Batcave. The only difference was the white color on the system.

All around the dashboard were glass walls, extending far out, away from the center. The glass walls allowed you to see out into the atmosphere of space. The entire room was spherical, curving all around them. Dick was in awe of the room.

“Whoa,” Dick gasped. “Where...where are we?”

“You just came from the Hall of Justice,” Bruce began. “It’s a site dedicated to the heroes that have defended the world years ago. After they disappeared, & things began to change again in the world, I took the opportunity to start a new initiative with a team of metahumans. We operate here, in a private space station above Earth called the Watchtower.”

“Metahumans,” Dick murmured. He remembered reading about them in Bruce’s computer in his Batcave. 

Bruce nodded. “Yes. As of now, our unit has been slowly working together to cooperate & work in operations around the globe when necessary, but, we have not made ourselves public yet. That’s something we’re still debating amongst ourselves.”

“Among...the metahumans?” Dick asked for clarification.

“Yes. The public may fear some of the members’ abilities.”

Dick began to think of the people he came across. Cheyenne Freemont’s telekinesis, Rachel Roth’s mysticism, Kori’s alien origin, Logan’s shapeshifting, Victor’s robotic physiology, & Conner’s super strength. Would...they be considered metahumans? Would they be feared by the public as well, after the night at City Hall?

Bruce glanced over Dick’s shoulder, where a separate door was opening from across the Watchtower. A woman in golden gladiator armor began to approach Dick & Bruce.

“Whoa, okay, who is that?” Dick asked.

Bruce cleared his throat, & began to speak in his disguised voice, only this time, he forced it much deeper than necessary. “This is the Amazonian Princess Diana of Themyscira. She works alongside me, here at the Watchtower.”

Dick glanced between the Batman & the woman standing before him. She had long, black hair that flowed over her shoulders. On her head, she wore a golden band with a red star branded on it. Her torso was covered with a metallic, almost golden armor that pressed her chest tight, revealing a lot of bust. Dick felt slightly uncomfortable. The tint was a mixture of a golden yellow with a rusted red. The armor almost came across as a design for a W. Underneath her plated armor, she wore a tight blue bottom that reminded Dick of a bikini bottom. Dick felt his heart beat fast. He wasn’t sure if he was attracted to her or genuinely afraid of her.

Dick didn’t know where to focus on the woman, so he looked up at her face. Her eyes were cold, but, for a split second, they seemed warm, as though she wanted to let out a laugh. But her eyes went back to a cold state that told Dick not to aggravate her.

The Princess looked at Dick with a raised eyebrow, then up at the Batman. “Does your ward speak?” she asked.

The Batman nodded his head. “He’s fine.”

Dick cleared his throat. He put his hand out forward, expecting to shake the Princess’s hand. “Princess Diana,” he said nervously, hearing his voice crack suddenly. “I, uh...it’s a pleasure to meet a princess. Well, actually, I’ve met a princess before. Except she was an alien princess.”

Princess Diana slowly shook Dick’s hand, then glanced back at the Batman. “I adore this child,” she said with a soft smile.

The Batman nodded. “Yeah, he’s good.”

The Princess let go of Dick’s hand & placed her hand over her hip, where a long golden whip was coiled around her waist. Dick felt his throat dry up in fear. “So,” he spoke, “what’s the ‘W’ stand for?”

Princess Diana glanced down at Dick. “Beg pardon?”

Dick shrugged. “The W on your armor...is that...like...for ‘Whip?’”

The Princess rolled her eyes with a small grin. She turned to the Batman. “Are the rest on their way?”

Bruce nodded, answering in Batman’s hoarse voice. “Yes, they are. They’ll be here shortly.”

Princess Diana smiled. “Well, good. That means that we have time to introduce Robin to everyone.”

“Wait, everyone?” Dick asked, looking between the Princess & Batman. “Who else is there?”

Suddenly, the doors where the Princess had emerged from opened again, & this time, more people came through the doors. First, was a green humanoid clothed in a dark blue & red armor, & a blue cape flowing down his back. He was bald & had glowing red eyes. After him was a large, muscular man with a chiseled chin, who wore a red body suit with a huge yellow lightning bolt going down his chest. He wore a white cape. He had a large grin on his face. After him, a man who wore an orange top with scales on it, & green skin tight pants walked behind them. As the three approached, a red streak flashed between the suited men, then shimmered in the space in front of Dick. The streak revealed a man, suited in a red suit with a lightning bolt on his chest, but instead of a cape, he wore a mask over his face. He had lightning bolts emerging from his ears.

Dick stood there, stunned. “Whoa,” he gasped softly. “What…?”

The man standing before him outstretched his hand. “Hey there. Name’s Barry Allen. You can call me the Flash. Welcome to the Watchtower. Pretty cool, huh? You’re Robin, right? I heard a lot about you. It was pretty cool, what you did to take down that guy in Gotham the other day. You really know your stuff. Batman must be super proud to be training a kid like you. It’s super awesome to have a guy like him as your mentor. You’ve got the best guy for the job.”

“Flash,” Princess Diana said, “you’re doing it again.”

The Flash glanced from Diana to Dick, then suddenly let out an awkward laugh. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I talk a lot. Sometimes I talk fast. Sometimes, it’s both. It’s hard to slow down.”

Dick shrugged. “It’s cool. You’re fast. That’s dope.”

The Flash smiled cheesily, then turned to the remaining three men who followed suit. The green man approached Dick first. “I am J’onn J’onzz. I am one of the last remaining Martians left in the Universe. I am here to welcome you to our cause.”

Dick stared at the man. He felt inclined to shake the man’s hand, but he didn’t offer. Plus...he was green. And a Martian. “I’m...sorry to hear about your kind, sir. But thank you. I am honored to be here, standing before you.”

J’onn smiled faintly, then stepped back, allowing Dick to step towards the next two men. The orange scaled man & the chiseled chin man glanced at each other, as if having a conversation between themselves. The orange scaled man spoke first. “I am Arthur Curry. I am the current King of Atlantis. I look forward to working alongside you & your mentor.”

Dick stared in awe at the man. “King of Atlantis? Like...under the sea?”

Arthur nodded with a grin. “The very same.”

Dick raised an eyebrow. “Cool. That’s cool. You can, like, breathe underwater?”

Arthur shrugged. “I’m their King. I have to.”

Dick nodded. “Oh, duh.” He glanced to the chiseled chin man with the large lightning bolt on his chest. “What’s your deal?” he asked. “Are you, like, a knockoff of the Flash?”

The chiseled man’s face went from a sly smirk to a genuinely offended frown. “No! I’m Billy Batson. I’m, like, really strong, & I can fly, & stuff.”

Dick glanced at the man up & down. “Billy? You, uh...look a little old to be Billy.”

Princess Diana placed a hand on Dick’s shoulder & leaned in close to his ear. “Don’t make him say his other name,” she whispered. “You’ll embarrass the poor boy.”

Dick felt a sudden tingling sensation, feeling Diana’s warm breathe by his neck. He totally disregarded the fact that she referred to Billy Batson as a boy.

Dick was started by the door behind him opening, revealing an older man dressed in a suit, with a bright yellow vest & a bowtie. He wore a large top hat, & a full mustache. He was followed by Zatanna Zatara, wearing her favorite blazer with her white button up & jeans, who was walking alongside Rachel Roth & Kori. Dick’s face lit up a little, seeing them again.

The Batman approached the old man & shook his hand. “Giovanni, it’s good to see you.” The man nodded with a smile, then placed his hand behind Zatanna, who smiled softly. Dick suddenly noticed a striking resemblance between the two. It...was he her father?

Kori’s eyes brightened up as she saw Dick looking over at her. “Dick!” she cried softly, running over to him. Somehow, she recognized him underneath his Robin suit. She leaped onto him, hugging him tightly. Dick held her tightly back, feeling a warmth of seeing a familiar face.

Rachel slowly approached the two. “Kori, would you knock it off?” she said, before noticing Dick underneath his mask. “Wait...holy shit, Dick? Is that you?” she asked.

Dick smiled. “Yeah. It’s been a while. How are you two?”

Kori smiled back at Dick. “Fantastic. I am thrilled to be with you again!”

Rachel leaned close to Dick with her arms crossed over her chest. “I won’t pretend to care about why you’re dressed like a dork, so I’m just going to ask if you know what the hell we’re doing here.”

Dick shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”

As soon as Dick said that, the doors opened once more to reveal another man emerging from the doors behind him. It was Victor Stone, walking in with a large leather jacket that he managed to pull over his robotic arms. His face, however, was still visible. Followed by him was Logan, who was wearing a baseball cap & a t-shirt & jeans. He was still green as ever, with the goofiest grin on his face. Alongside those two was Conner, who now wore a black t-shirt that had a small S emblem on the left breast, & blue jeans. He looked more nervous than ever before.

Dick glanced up between everyone, then back at the Batman. “Bruce, what’s going on?” he asked softly.

The Batman looked down at Dick, then stepped away from the visitors, alongside the suited adults. “Everyone, welcome to the Watchtower. You have each been selected out of thousands of special individuals around the world for something big. With each of your abilities, you will all become valuable assets for us. We’ll help train you all, & help you channel your abilities & gifts. You’ll become stronger than you already are, & be able to help the entire world when called upon.”

Victor glanced at Dick, then back at the Batman. “So, what, you’re gonna make us into some superheroes?”

Logan scoffed. “No, dude, we’re all too small. They’re probably gonna make us into their grunt sidekicks.”

Victor looked down at Logan. “Hah! I dunno about you, but I ain’t no grunt, man.”

“Boys!” Princess Diana called. Logan & Victor both suddenly stared at the Amazonian, both in slight fear. Dick grinned. He tried not to laugh.

Diana continued. “You all will work alongside us when we require it, but, in most cases, we would like to create a secondary unit similar to our own, only consisting of youths with great abilities. Within time, we’ll have each of you working on secret operations across the world. In fact, we would like some of you to start now.”

Zatanna raised her hand. “Wait, start WHAT now?”

The Flash threw his arms up. “Initiation!”

Everyone turned & stared at the Flash for his over enthusiastic exclamation. The Flash slowly let his arms hang & sighed. “Okay, I’ll let you guys do that then,” he said in a disappointed tone. He turned, then glanced back at the group. “Buzzkills,” he grumbled, then sped off in a split second out of the room.

Dick scratched his head. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that, man.”

Batman cleared his throat, & the group’s murmuring died down to a silence. “For the incoming new members of our League, we are requiring you to keep your identities secret for your own safety, & that we assign you each with a codename that we will refer to you each by from now on.”

The group of teenagers each glanced at each other. They were unsure of how to proceed. Rachel stepped forward. “Okay, I’ll start,” she murmured. “Um, I’m Raven.”

Batman nodded. “Codename: Raven.” He nodded towards his side, & she stepped away for a brief moment. Batman glanced at Zatanna, who stood beside her father. “Zatara, I know you & your daughter well already. I feel that a codename for her would be sort of redundant.”

The old man, Giovanni, nodded. “I suppose,” he responded in his British accent.

Batman nodded. “Zatanna, you & Raven will work on an assignment in the West coast. There’s a supernatural dimensional breach near the coast of California. We would like you two to check it out.”

Raven glanced at Zatanna, who stared right back in both annoyance & confusion.

Batman turned to the group of boys, & Victor stepped forward. “I guess you guys can just call me the Cyborg,” he grunted. “No use getting creative, right?”

Batman nodded. “Alright. Codename: Cyborg.”

Victor glanced down at Logan, who was caught off guard. “Oh, uh,” Logan stammered. “I hadn’t really had time to think this over,” he whined.

“Nigga, would you come on?” Victor called, slapping Logan’s shoulder.

“Beast Boy?” Logan cried.

The group stared at Logan, who suddenly blushed red in the face. “I dunno. Isn’t it ok?”

Dick shrugged. “I was thinking Changeling,” he suggested.

With that, Conner, Kori, Rachel & Victor all nodded in agreement.

Batman sighed. “Codename:...Changeling?” he asked questioningly.

Logan nodded with a smile. Batman continued in his hoarse voice. “You & Cyborg will be sent to Jump City to locate & eliminate an underground criminal syndicate group known as Hive.”

Victor & Logan nodded with grins on their faces. “Jump City, baby!” Victor chanted.

Batman turned to Kori, who stood upright with a bright smile. “Starfire, sir!” she cheered.

Batman let out a soft chuckle. “Codename: Starfire. You’ll travel out with J’onn J’onzz in order to help locate a fellow Martian named M’gann M’orzz.”

Starfire nodded with a soft smile & walked towards the green man. She almost walked past Dick until he grabbed her by her arm suddenly. She turned back to look at him. “Dick,” she gasped.

Dick felt a sudden tug in his chest. “Kori, I don’t know what’s going to happen from here on now,” he whispered. “I may not be around to take care of you a lot. I don’t know if Rachel with, either.”

Kori smiled. “I will be alright, will I not?”

Dick fought tears. “Seriously. I need you to be careful, okay?” He looked deep into her big, bright green eyes. He knew he wouldn’t forget those eyes. “Never let them take the light from behind your eyes, okay?”

Kori’s smile faded, & suddenly she was looking deep in Dick’s eyes as well. She nodded softly, then wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. Dick felt onto her even tighter. Space. She was going into space, where she was from. He wanted to make sure she was alright, one last time.

J’onn J’onzz & Bruce both cleared their throats awkwardly, then Dick & Kori parted ways. Kori began walking with the Martian, & Dick watched her leave.

Dick felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He looked up to find the Batman, glancing down at him. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “They’ll all be okay.”

Dick nodded. Before Bruce could even open his mouth, Dick began to speak. “Codename: Robin,” he spat out with enthusiasm.

“Alright,” Batman said. “Codename: Robin.”

With that, the group began to clap & dispersed among themselves, each conversing nonchalantly, & some tending to serious matters at the center of the station. Bruce turned to leave with Dick with he saw Conner, standing awkwardly by the door.

Bruce leaned towards Dick. “Which one was he?” he asked.

Dick sighed. “Conner. We rescued him from Cadmus. He had no memory of his time there. He’s got super strength.”

Batman nodded. He glanced around in the station. “Dammit, where’s Kal-El when  yu need him?” Bruce grunted.

Just as he asked that, the doors behind them opened & a man emerged. He wore a dark blue suit with a large red symbol across his chest. It resembled an S. He wore a large red cape over his shoulders & had slicked back black hair, except one curl hung over his forehead. His jawline was exquisite. The suit was form fitting, revealing his large biceps & pectoral muscles. He was an incredibly good looking man. Something about him made Dick suddenly reevaluate his idea of what it meant to be a superhero.

“Sorry I’m late,” the man said. “Got caught up in some turbulance on my way here.”

“No time for jokes, Kal,” Bruce grunted. “Just as I asked where you were, you decided to show up late to this urgent meeting?”

Kal-El nodded. “You’re right. I apologize,” he said. He glanced between Conner & Dick. “And just who you two might be?”

Bruce nodded at Dick. “This is Robin, my ward. I’m training him to work alongside the League.”

Dick stared at the man. Something about him struck as familiar to Dick. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Dick asked.

Kal-El stared down at Dick. “Um...not that I know of. You may have seen me on the news.”

Dick struggled really hard. “S...Superman, right?”

Kal-El nodded, raising his eyebrow at Bruce. “Yes, that’s what the ‘S’ is for.”

Finally, Dick remembered seeing the file on Bruce’s computer. “Clark!” Dick called out.

Kal-El’s eyes widened opened as Bruce suddenly smacked the back of Dick’s head. “Dick!” Bruce hissed.

“Wait,” Kal-El said. “Dick...Dick Grayson?” Kal-El glanced at Batman. “Bruce,” he whispered, “you told me you were adopting a kid, but I had no idea you managed to adopt Dick freaking Grayson! I was trying to interview him for so long for work!”

Bruce cleared his throat & whispered in a normal voice. “Clark, I found him at your apartment.”

Suddenly, the pieces were coming together. Dick could see Kal-El with a pair of glasses & a tie, & he was Clark Kent. Clark looked down at Dick, & it seemed as though he was looking right through Dick’s mask & could see the person he met that night on the bus. “John…” Clark mumbled. “It was you.”

Dick nodded softly. “Nice to see you again, Clark,” Dick said, holding his hand out.

Clark let out a soft smile. “Nice to see you too as well,” Clark responded, gripping Dick’s hand tightly & shaking it as well. Dick glanced behind Clark’s shoulder, where Conner stood, still unsure where to look. Clark turned around to find Conner staring down at the ground. He nodded to Conner. “Hi. I’m Clark. You can call me Superman.”

Conner looked up at Superman & smiled softly. “Hey.”

Dick smiled at the two, then felt Bruce place his arm around his shoulder. “Welcome to the Justice League,” Bruce said.


	43. Something Else

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Richard visits Clark one last time, hoping to get some advice from the only other man he felt he could trust.

Richard Grayson leaped across the the gap between the two apartment buildings & rolled across the rooftop, breaking his fall against the concrete. He rolled up onto his feet & continued to run, keeping his momentum up. He ran across the rooftop, making another leap across. He grabbed onto a windowsill on the building across & began to swiftly climb his way up. He breathed deeply as he paced himself during his climb. He brought up his right foot, then his left hand, then his left foot, then his right hand. As soon as he could reach the edge of the rooftop, he hoisted himself up with one heavy heave, landing feet first on the edge of the building.

Richard sighed. It had been a really long time since he traversed the rooftops of Metropolis. Richard shook the thought from his head & surveyed the buildings around him. He knew the apartment was nearby…

Suddenly, Richard caught sight of an open balcony a block away from where he stood. Richard remembered he had a balcony. He was almost sure that it was his apartment.

Richard leaped & glided across the buildings, feeling himself move with instinctive precision. He made his way down the city blocks until he managed to get on top of the building he was looking for. He stood on the edge of the building & dropped down, latching onto the edge with his hands. He dropped down one story, then another, then another, until he landed smoothly on the balcony.

Richard stood up & examined the apartment through the glass balcony doors. The apartment looked the same. The living room was the same, small, cozy apartment with the dimly lit lights. The kitchen was the same, with groceries fresh from the supermarket laid out across the kitchen counter. Suddenly, Richard saw him, walking across the living room with a have eaten apple in one hand & a newspaper in the other. He was looking down, reading the newspaper while eating the apple. Richard knocked against the glass door, getting his attention.

Clark spun around, startled at the sight of a strange man standing outside of his apartment. Clark’s big eyes stared back at Richard through the thick glasses, but a smile slowly washed over his face. Clark set the apple on the table nearby & walked over to the balcony & opened the door. “Dick,” Clark said. “What a great surprise!”

Richard smiled. “Hey, Clark,” he started. “It’s nice to see you too.”

The two embraced in a friendly, brotherly hug. “Yeah, of course!” Clark exclaimed. Clark pulled back to get a good look at Richard. “Wow, look at you! All grown up! I remember when you were still a scrawny little pipsqueak.”

Richard scoffed. “Yeah, but I could still take you on.”

Clark let out a soft laugh as he walked Richard to their table. “Maybe one day, kid.” The two sat down across from one another. Clark picked up his apple, then took a juicy bite from it. He swallowed his bit, then continued. “It’s been way too long, Dick. How are you?”

Richard shrugged. “I’m alright, I guess,” he said shyly. He cleared his throat. “And...I’m sort of going by Richard now.”

Clark stared at Richard. “Richard?” he asked. “Richard Grayson…” Clark sat there, attempting to roll the words off his tongue. He shook his head. “No, I like Dick Grayson better.”

Richard shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said softly. “I think I’m growing out of that.”

Clark eyed Richard carefully, almost studying him. Clark nodded softly. “Right,” he said. “I guess I can understand that. Sure.”

Richard nodded softly. He struggled to find the words to say what he had come there to say. The problem was, Richard honestly had no idea what he wanted to say. He just knew that he needed to talk to somebody. “Clark,” he started. “Would you say that we’re friends?”

Clark stared at Richard. “Um...well, sure. Why wouldn’t we be?”

Richard shrugged. “I mean...when we first met, I wasn’t exactly honest with you. I lied-”

“Water under the bridge,” Clark said, waving Richard off. “I completely understand why you lied that night. I don’t blame you one bit.”

Richard nodded. He sighed. “That night feels like a whole lifetime ago, doesn’t it?” Richard said. “Like...it was so long ago. Things were so different then. All I wanted to do that night was just go somewhere, far away. Away from everything, you know?”

Clark smiled softly. “Yeah. You had just escaped the Underground, went on the run for a bit after everything that went on down there.”

Richard nodded. “I didn’t even think to consider much else. I just wanted to run away. I...I dunno, I wanted to start a new life.”

“Who could blame you?” Clark said. “Things were tough. You were afraid. You had the means to get away with it.”

“Yeah,” Richard said, his voice trailing off as he sat in thought. “I...I ended up going with Bruce, but...I was gonna leave him too. I still wanted to leave. But I wanted to find someone.”

Clark nodded. “Cheyenne Freemont,” he said softly. “I’m very sorry about what happened.”

Richard gave Clark a faint smile. “It’s fine. It’s whatever.” Richard began to think about Cheyenne. “It’s like...she was the only thing that mattered to me at the time. Part of me just wanted to whisk her away & be happy with her. But...things changed, you know?”

Clark watched Richard with a heavy intensity. Richard felt unsure whether Clark was just very engaged in what Richard was saying, or if he was attempting to see him with his x-ray vision. Richard looked away from Clark’s gaze, continuing. “Things always change. Suddenly, I was dropped with this heavy load of responsibility. I felt like I had to do something. Cheyenne was dead, & then I got kidnapped by Russians, fought demons & met aliens, & people just kept dying. I was trying to help everyone. I was trying to stop Nolan Drake, but a lot of people just kept dying.”

Clark nodded. “You did what you could at the time. You DID save a lot of people.” Richard began shaking his head, but Clark continued. “No, don’t you do that. Don’t you put yourself down. At a time of great fear & distress, you managed to find the courage within yourself & do what no one else was willing nor capable of doing. You saved so many people’s lives, Dick.”

Richard held back the tears. “No, man, no.”

Clark shook his head. “Rachel Roth once told you that nobody can be super all of the time. It’s true, nobody can be super all the time. Not even me. Especially not me. Look at me, kid. Extraterrestrial strength & super sight & the ability to fly, but, that doesn’t make me perfect. There’s not a day I don’t think about the lives I let slip out of my fingertips. There’s not a day I don’t think about all of the wrongs I’ve done, & the times that it’s made me question everything I believe about what we’re doing.” Clark sat forward, resting himself over his elbows. He sighed. “Superpowers doesn’t make us superheroes. No. A hero is a person who finds the strength to persevere and endure, in spite of the overwhelming consequences. You may not believe you’re strong, Dick, but you’re stronger than you think. Trust me.”

Richard shook his head. “No, Clark...I’ve let way too many people slip out of my hands. Like...it’s not like you, who can’t save one person from a burning building. No, it’s not that. It’s EVERYONE.”

Clark raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Richard felt his eyes fill with water. He blinked hard once, feeling the tears drip from both eyes. He looked back up at Clark. “Haven’t you ever wondered why Bruce & I haven’t been up to the Watchtower in so long?”

Clark shook his head. “Bruce said that he was having big problems in Gotham that he needed to handle alone.”

Richard scoffed. “Hah, wow, alone. Yeah, that sure sounds like Bruce, alright.” Richard felt his fists clench tight. “That son of a bitch,” he grumbled.

Clark leaned close towards Richard with a genuine look of concern over his face. “Dick...what the hell happened between you two?”

Richard looked up at Clark, feeling the tears continue to roll down. “The Joker. The Joker happened, & he ruined everything for Bruce & I.”

Clark nodded. “Yeah, I’ve heard the news reports.”

Richard shook his head. “They didn’t say anything about how he shot the Batgirl, leaving her a paraplegic?”

Clark gasped. “What?”

Richard let out a frustrated groan. “I knew I shouldn’t have let Barbara work with Bruce! She had this fucking fantasy about doing what Robin did for Gotham after Nolan, & that she should also help save the city. She was all, ‘oh, Dad would NEVER let me join the force. He’s too overprotective, Dick. Let me help you, Dick!’ Well, Gordon had a fucking reason to want to protect her, am I right? First his wife, then his daughter? And the worst part is that I couldn’t save her!”

“Dick,” Clark whispered.

“Now she will hardly look me in the eye anymore. I can’t live with myself, knowing she sees me like that. So, I thought I would take a break from all of it & work alongside the Titans.”

Clark nodded. “Right. I remember, you asked for permission to organize your own special unit.”

Richard scoffed. “It worked. For a bit. Things got out of hand, though. Fucking jealousies ensued, & none of us could fucking stand each other. Logan got the hots for Rachel, while Rachel was in love with Kori, & Kori was fascinated with my dumbass self. M’gann was, like, all over Conner, but the poor guy was too naive to realize a damn thing. Roy dipped, Victor dipped. Then...I don’t know, it just felt like babysitting after a while.”

Clark nodded softly. “They WERE just kids, you know.”

Richard shook his head. “Right. But, you know, I figured that I could at least get them to band together for a bit as Robin. And it worked, for a while. I did good for them as Robin. But...by the time I got back to Gotham, I found out that someone else had taken on the mantel as the Boy Wonder.”

“Wait, there were two of you?” Clark asked in confusion.

Richard shrugged. “Yeah, apparently! Bruce managed to recruit another poor kid to don the mask & cape!” Richard sighed. “The sad part is...I knew him.”

Clark raised an eyebrow. “Knew him?”

Richard nodded. “Jason Todd. He was in the Underground with Nolan Drake. I met him the night we arrested him.”

“Oh,” Clark said. “Was he a good Robin?”

Richard shrugged. “I really don’t know. Bruce never liked to talk to me about him. I would watch them train…& Jason was hard working. He always appreciated meeting me that night, saying I inspired him to find the Batman & train with him after I had left. I guess it was good...part of me thinks it was all just pushed too hard.”

“Pushed?” Clark asked.

Richard shook his head. “Bruce seemed to have way too high of expectations for Jason. Jason had a short fuse. Sort of like me, but, way worse. I don’t know...I think Jason hated me, sort of. Like...I think he hated Bruce pushing Jason to basically be me, replace me. It was weird, you know?”

Clark nodded. “Right, but, what makes you think that’s how Jason felt?”

Richard shook his head. “The way he would look at me when he thought I wasn’t paying attention. It was the look you’d give when you want to punch someone in the face, & don’t.”

Clark rolled his eyes. “I’ve been there.”

Richard sighed. He felt his voice trembling again. “I think that envy & rage is what fucked things up. His desire to please Bruce so badly is what made him go after the Joker alone that night.”

“The Joker?” Clark asked, a sudden raise in his voice.

RIchard nodded. “I guess...Jason thought that if he finally killed the Joker for Batman, then maybe he’d finally be truly accepted again.”

Clark bit his lip & swallowed. “Wow...just pleasing daddy, huh?”

Richard nodded slowly. He shut his eyes tight, forcing himself not to let anymore tears fall from his face. “The Joker beat Jason to death that night,” he said in a low voice. “The Joker killed Jason Todd.”

Clark stayed silent. Richard continued. “At least, that’s what Alfred told me. ‘Oh, Master Grayson, don’t blame Bruce. Don’t blame Jason. It was the Joker. He did this to us!’ Oh, bull-fucking-shit. The way the two clawed at each other’s throats. The way Jason practically groveled & begged Bruce to give him the love & respect that he wanted from him caused Bruce to shun him. Bruce’s emotional abuse is what drove Jason to be so reckless. He sent Jason to his death. It was Bruce’s fault, & no one has the balls to fucking admit it.”

Clark watched Richard. Richard sighed, feeling his anger continue to boil. “And you’d think that Jason’s death would be a wake up call for the guy, right? Hell, you’d think that a bullet through the Commissioner's daughter fucking spine would wake Bruce up! But no. Bruce’s sick obsession with the dynamic duo got him to track down the next worse person to train.”

Clark leaned back. “Who?”

Richard took a deep breath & wiped his eyes. “Tim Drake. Nolan Drake’s younger brother.”

Clark’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell?” he said softly. “Bruce...got his brother?”

Richard nodded. “Yeah, Nolan Drake’s little goon to Drake’s fucking flesh & blood. It was almost like he did it to punish me for leaving him. Like he WANTED these new Robins to get under my skin. Like it was supposed to be poetic.” Richard looked down at his hands & twiddled his fingers together awkwardly. “I guess he was good. Tim was smart. He honestly didn’t really seem too messed up. After what happened with Nolan, I thought that Tim would grow up to be damaged, but, I think his father did good for him after seeing Nolan. Tim was super smart. He pretty much managed to already figure out that Bruce was the Batman before he even confessed. It was a little funny.”

Clark nodded, a soft smile rising over his face. “He was good, then?”

Richard nodded back. “Sure. I mean, for a bit. But Bruce wasn’t the same, still. Not after Barbara got shot, & Jason died. Like I said, everything changed. Bruce started drinking. Like, really drinking. After Barbara, he would get drunk & yell at Jason a lot. He hit him a lot. Once Jason died, & Tim came around, he would do the same to him. I caught him, once. I saw him grab the staff that was by Jason’s suit in the Cave, the one that he died holding, & I saw Bruce strike Tim with it.”

“And you stepped in.”

“You’re damn right, I did. I ran up & kicked Bruce’s ass. He was drunk, & I had the upperhand at first, but, after a while, I realized who it was that I was fighting. He started really getting on me. He really did. He ended up pinning me to the ground, & shoving a blade up my neck.” Richard rubbed his neck where he could feel the soft scar where he was cut. “I had never been so afraid in my life. Like, there were times when I thought, “shit, this is it. I could die.” It was always like that. Whenever I first ran away from the orphanage, when I fought Nolan in the Undergound, when I found Cheyenne & she threw me through a fucking wall, when that toxin got in my lungs at the Iceberg Lounge, & when the Batman chased me down from Wayne Manor all the way out into the city. Like, I was genuinely afraid for my life. But...when Bruce Wayne shoved that blade near me...I actually believed he was going to kill me.”

Richard could see tears welling up in Clark’s eyes. He wasn’t asking the Man of Steel for pity. He just needed to let it out to somebody. “Alfred stopped Bruce,” Richard finished. “I was pulled back by Tim, & the two of us left Wayne Manor that night. I checked back in, offering Tim to stay with me somewhere. He decided that it’d be best for him to wait on Bruce to calm down, so he could take care of him. To be honest, Clark, I regret not taking him with me, because as I’m sitting here, crying on your dining table, I can’t help but wonder if Bruce has already killed Tim tonight or not.”

“Dick,” Clark said over Richard’s sobbings. “Listen to me. Tim is a strong boy. I knew exactly what he was doing when he became the new Robin. He knew that there would be complications. He’s strong. He’ll be okay. So will you. You have to be. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.”

Richard took a deep breath, attempting to stop his heavy crying. “Things were different, you know? Like...when we worked together, everything was in sync. I knew his moves, he knew mine. We were like clockwork. It worked. Everything worked. We worked. And he wasn’t always that dark. Like, at first, when I met him, he was just the playboy billionaire. Then I met the darker side of him. I met him as the Batman. I...I managed to get him to be both of them, you know? I’d like to think that I rubbed off some good stuff onto him, & maybe made him a little happy. But...I wasn’t without fault either. I was dark too. I was broken, like him. And...I don’t know. I think while we were helping each other be better, both as heroes & as humans, I think we also broke each other. I became...I don’t know, something I don’t like.”

Clark stared at Richard, unsure of how to respond. Richard sighed, continuing to let his thoughts flow. “I don’t want to end up like him. So cold & dark. He had this...way of doing things. I hadn’t really noticed it at first. At first, he inspired me. He made me want to do what he did. He made me want to do something for our city, like he was doing. I always wanted - expected to grow up & become him. And the hero bit...I’m still all in. But that thing inside him, the thing that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of the mission, that’s not for me. I don’t want to be ‘the’ Batman anymore.”

“What do you mean, ‘sacrifice?’” Clark asked.

Richard shook his head. “He was willing to let a building blow up to save one person.”

Clark furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“Yeah. The crime lord Two-Face had kidnapped some woman that Bruce knew, I guess. He had her on one end of the city, & an office building set to blow up with hostages. I offered to split with him, & go after the hostages, but he wouldn’t let me. All of those people...just because he needed to save one woman.”

Clark stayed quiet. Richard continued. “There was a moment where I was like that, actually...where the Batman in him rubbed off on me. With the Titans in Jump City, we were going after a guy. We called him Red X. He was torturing all of us, like he knew something that we didn’t know. We tried to stop him...I tried to stop him. He wanted my name, my suit, my life…& in return, he would leave the Titans alone.”

“You didn’t!” Clark cried.

“I almost did. I went behind the group’s back, thinking I’d give everything up & sacrifice it all, just for the mission. He would stop terrorizing us, just like we wanted. But Raven was onto me. She brought the team to take him down anyway. We lost him. From there, things went south with the team.” Richard took a deep breath. “In the end, I was so sick of it. I never wanted to see that stupid Robin suit again.”

Clark opened his mouth to speak, but Richard cut him off. “The frustration, the complications! The responsibilities to, like, everyone. Your friends, your family, your team, & your city? Your home? Doing everything right for them is just so damn hard. There are days where I think back to stuff that Jason told me. He always wondered why Bruce had such a shitshow for killing. It made sense, but, sometimes Jason had a point. I was like that too. I didn’t believe in what we were doing for a while. I didn’t have faith in our cause. As Robin, that changed, but...bad things happened to good people who didn’t deserve it. And I think about it. It should be alright, you know? We SHOULD be helping make the city safer...right? Right?” Richard rubbed his face with his hands. “There is good & there is evil. There are those who commit crime, & those who stop them. These two sides are opposite. As different as day & night. And the line between them is clear. At least, it’s supposed to be.”

“Do you think you’re a criminal?” Clark asked. “Because you’re not. You have a duty to Gotham City, & you kn-”

“The only difference between us & them is the mask & cape,” Richard said. “It’s something I once told Bruce. I stopped thinking that way, but...now, I’m not so sure. I mean, I get that he’s damaged. I guess I have that burden too. Because changing is always harder than staying the same. It takes courage to face yourself in the mirror & look beyond the reflection. To find the you that you should have been. The you who got derailed by cruel childhood events. Events that took your life’s natural trajectory & twisted it. Changing into something unimaginable...or even incredible...giving you the courage to embrace your birthright, your destiny, & you finally realize...you’re Batman.”

Clark eyed Richard. “You’re not talking about Bruce anymore, are you?”

Richard looked up at Clark. He sighed, not even attempting to deny it anymore. “That’s what I mean. I’m seeing myself now & I’ve changed. I’ve become so many things in my life, & the place where I’m at right now is the scariest. I don’t like change. I don’t like becoming something I don’t recognize. There’s a part of me that wants to be the same person who will do what he can to protect those he loves, but, I can’t keep them around while being Robin, you know? Working alongside Bruce...it changed me in the long run. I realized that I have to continue to let my emotions be cut off. Having no sense of humanity is good, because everyone around me keeps dying, you know?”

The two sat in a moment of silence. Richard spoke. “Long ago, we realized we can’t possibly solve all the world’s problems. And maybe we shouldn’t even try. We understood that we needed to develop our hearts & minds & not just our fighting skills. With all the good that needs to be done, it’s impossible to accept that nobody should ever do what we do 24/7. Trust me, I know. If you come to believe that you’re a god & fail, where does that leave you?”

Clark shook his head. “Hopeless. It challenges everything you believe in.”

Richard nodded. “Yeah...it left me with that realization that in order to do what I’m doing, & be the man that I need to be, I need to strictly be Robin. There is nothing in between. I am no longer Dick Grayson. I am...just Robin.” Richard let out a soft laugh. “There was a time where that would’ve made me happy. I wish it made me feel better. Funny thing is just as I’m getting good at this...I know I have to give it up.”

“So that’s what this is about?” Clark asked. “You want to give up the cape?”

Richard shrugged, & Clark rubbed his temples with his hands. Clark spoke. “What we do isn’t something that just anybody can do. You said that yourself. It’s true, there’s not a lot of people who are willing to do what we do. But...we get burned out, sometimes. I don’t blame you.” Clark sighed. He tapped his fingers against his table counter & glanced away. Richard knew he was trying to tell him something. “But there’s no one like you. The way you came into this life is something that makes you stronger. It makes you who you are, & you’re NOT Bruce. You don’t have to sink into that darkness. Not yet, anyway.”

Richard shook his head. “Clark, no, Bruce is-”

“You’re the Boy Wonder, Dick,” Clark interrupted. “You’re not Bruce’s son. You were your own man, & you lived by your one values. You’re your own hero.”

“No!” Richard cried. “Robin was born from Batman…& from there, I became Bruce’s son, I think.”

Clark eyed Richard. “You...you care about him still, don’t you?”

Richard looked up at Clark with rage in his teary eyes, but took a deep breath to calm himself. “I guess. Jason felt like I was Bruce’s prodigal son, but...sometimes I wasn’t sure if I was. It didn’t always feel like that, but sometimes it did. I really don’t know. I just...I don’t know what to do with myself, anymore.”

Clark nodded. He bit his lips, considering what he was going to say. “You don’t need to be like the Batman,”  Clark started. “And yeah, there is too much death that comes with being the Batman’s Robin. If you need a break from the Titans, & from Bruce, & from Gotham...then do what you wanted to do when you first showed up here. Get out of here. Start a new life, Dick.”

Richard looked down at his fingers. “A new life?”

Clark smiled softly. “I once heard stories about a vigilante in Krypton. He was originally a law enforcer in Krypton, but, just like any other society, there were some problems in how they worked. There was corruption, just like in Gotham. But this Kryptonian decided to drop his uniform & go about his own values. He took the law into his own hands & became his own man, instead of obeying the Big Man. I always admired that kind of hero, because I knew that I could never be that kind of man.”

Richard eyed Clark. “Who was this guy?”

Clark's soft smile rose into a larger smile. “Van-Zee. He became a vigilante with a name that, from Kryptonian, translates to Nightwing.”

“Nightwing,” Richard whispered in awe. He nodded. “Nightwing…”

Clark nodded. He sat back in his seat & placed his hands behind his back. “You're your own man, now. You don't owe Bruce anything at this point. You don't have any responsibilities to anyone except you & what you believe in.”

Richard nodded. He had nothing left in Gotham. No father...no family...no friends...he had to leave.

“Thanks, Clark,” Richard said softly. “This actually kind of helps.”

Clark nodded. He sighed, then stood up from the table. “I’ll do what I can to keep the League off of your radar. We don’t have a lot of coverage in Blüdhaven, so that would be a good place to start.”

Richard nodded. “Blüdhaven,” he whispered.

“Yeah, I’ll keep our priorities on recruiting the Green Arrow & Arsenal,” Clark said. “The League will have a field day, trying to get those guys after what went down in Star City.”

Richard bit his lip. He knew very well what happened over the past few years in Star City. He knew why Roy Harper had disappeared after the attack on City Hall. With what happened there, & the havoc in his hometown, the Justice League was dying to figure out who the Green Arrow & Arsenal were. Richard understood the tragedy of wanting to stay hidden from the world. Now, it was Richard’s turn to hide from the rest of the League.

Richard stood up from his seat. “I’ll see you around, Clark.”

As Clark approached Richard to shake his hand, but before he could, Richard was already sprinting across the kitchen towards the balcony. Richard raced out of the apartment, onto the balcony, & leaped over the railing. “Richard!” Clark called from within the apartment, but Richard was already over the edge, leaping out into the city.

**_END_ **


End file.
